Gambling, Ghillie's Rest, Glenbogle Gazette
by TheBoglies
Summary: A new story by Carrie Anne
1. Parts 1 and 2

**Gambling, Ghillie's Rest, Glenboggle (LOL) Gazette, and GOOD GRIEF!**

**By: Carrie-Anne**

**Chapter OneThe campervan and the tavern**

Paul had drove in his campervan from the Glenbogle House all the way to Ghillie's Rest for a) peace and quiet, b) a beer and c) to talk to Gordon some more since they had become friends...well it was d) all of the above. Paul didn't mind going off on his own as he entered the big log cabin tavern traveled to the bar. Gordon nodded his head and then passed Paul a pint of his favorite ale and spoke, "Aye, didn't think we'd be seeing ya tonight?"

Paul smiled, tipped his head, and joked, "My missus doesn't keep me in all the time—just lately. How's it goin'?"

"Not as busy, can't complain..." Gordon nodded his head again with a white cloth in his hand as he wiped down the glossed top surface of the bar.

"Good to hear," Paul sipped his pint as Gordon walked over to him and leaded over the bar, "My father's been talking about selling this place again..."

"Oh?" Paul asked, while trying to keep up with the conversation as Gordon continued to explain, "Yeah, for some it's a good deal and for others its not. Says he wants to buy a camper van travel the nation and see sights abroad, don't mind him moving away n' retirin'—but the place being sold to just anyone doesn't really suit me."

"I see."

"Perhaps if someone who's honest and a good man were to buy the place..."

"Why don't you buy it?"

"Eh, too much money the asking price and Maura wants us to move to the city when father does sell it," Gordon shrugged, "Besides I'd only want to stay on until the new ownership could handle the customer flow, the bar and how it's run, aside from making sure the business doesn't go under."

Paul's mouth went into a half smile, "Well, I look forward to meeting the new owners when the time comes..."

"What about the laird purchasing this place?" Gordon posed a quick question and Paul gave him a surprised look before adding,

"Archie has no money for this place either..."

"How about you?" Gordon pried as Paul laughed, "I'm just as flat broke especially with my house being built now..."

"How's the house project?"

"Busy, past two months were codes, contractors, blue prints and breaking ground after clearing and excavating land. Now we're getting somewhere with our cabin, foundation in, walls going up...there's at least a years worth of work to do but Susan, Nye, and I will be living in it before the first frost."

"Your Indoor Climbing Arena?"

"Being built last—Archie agreed to have it built so if it takes until the first frost, well, then it does just that," Paul nodded his head as Gordon sighed, "Speaking of the devil," as an elderly gentleman, wearing pressed gray dress slacks, nice dress shirt and a jumper to keep 'the chill' off, as he wandered into Ghillie's Rest with a cane in his right hand and hobbled up to the bar.

"Son, drink. Now, how do you do Paul?" Mr. McKellen inquired as he smiled, "Tosh always speaks so highly of your brother, the Laird. Especially after helping him by giving him a job and home years ago, tell me, how's Archie these days?"

"Well, Fergus, he's real well," Paul turned his head to address the old man who in turn quipped, "Wife and children?"

"I don't have a wife, but Susan and Nigel are just fine and so is Arch's wife Lexie, the twins and the new one on the way..." Paul shook his head and then smiled.

Fergus McKellen beamed and then asked inquisitively, "Say, is that your campervan outside? Parked in my lot?"

Paul grinned, "Why yes it is."

"Always wanted one of them...a caravan so I could be like a gypsy with a never settle down billet and always have my eye on the open road," as Fergus McKellen beamed bright again and Paul laughed, "Sounds like you've been doing a lot of thinking..."

"Or dreaming," Gordon interrupted, "Telling Paul here about you wanting to sell the place for a set of those wheels..."

Fergus McKellen grinned, "Looking to buy it?"

"Ah no, no money, too much 'home building'..." Paul sighed as he waved his hands in a 'no' reply before turning one to his pint.

"Shame, I want someone good, decent and honest to run this place..." Fergus McKellen as he added with a smug look, "My own son won't even buy it from me."

Gordon rolled his eyes, "Too much money for an asking price, Da, besides Maura wants to move to the city..."

"Well, you buy it, and you can then move to the city." Gordon rolled his eyes again at his father's remark.

"Your sister doesn't have time to run the place as she keeps saying so, and only has the time for the distillery! I know she bought it from me but..."

"I'm not Amanda and I can't afford to buy this place. Case closed." Gordon smugly responded back as Paul finished his beer and decided to avoid the argument brewing between the father and son duo. Paul was about to stand up from the bar stool and try to slip out from the tavern when...Fergus McKellen extended an arm around him... "Another round?"

Paul was about to shake his head 'no', when Fergus said to him and Gordon, "Aye, go for it, only live once, make mine a whiskey, and whatever this chap had...I'm buying."

Gordon shrugged again and Paul tipped his head with a reply, "Okay, one more, but then I've reached my limit."

Gordon then started to prepare drinks while...

"Now, Laddy, you play snooker don't you?" Fergus McKellen replied as he toted Paul towards the table as Gordon delivered his father's whiskey and Paul's second pint of beer to a nearby table while Paul laughed, "For a military man that I am, Mr. McKellen, always."

"Ever win anything?" Mr. McKellen smiled warmly as Paul laughed again and took a sip from his ale, and nodded his head 'yes'.

"Good on ya then, rack 'em up," as Fergus McKellen's hand turned the top of his cane off, and out zoomed, within the cane a snooker stick with a cue. Paul's eyes widened at the invention, "I always carry my snooker cue with me for when it's necessary..."

Paul laughed again, "Um, you sure this is a?"

"I might be your elder, but I'll play yafor the campervan..." Fergus McKellen wagered high and Paul gave a chuckle, "No, not novel."

"All right, I'll make the stakes higher...if you win, you become partner of this ruckus of a place and if I win I get the campervan."

"Um, well, you see..."

"Fine, you win I'll give you the deed and you can own it outright if you lose then well, I get the title to your campervan..." Fergus McKellen held out his hand to shake as Paul reluctantly added, "You'd put this in writing?"

"I'm a man of my word, good boy, don't you patronize me, _now play_!" Gordon stood there and watched the scene unfold as he wrote everything down in writing about the bet and walked over to the game table as he gestured to Paul to sign the agreement and then to his father who refused, "I'm not going to sign this...I say what I mean..."

Gordon sighed, "Sign it. It'll keep us from legal fees if this bet goes awry..."

Fergus McKellen nagged the pen from his son's hands and jotted down his name and handed back the paper to Gordon, "Very well, now let's begin..."

Hours later...

Paul had walked home from Ghillie's Rest as the night was brisk as he crossed over the bridge, Duncan in the land rover stopped by as the wheels of the truck skidded to a halt, and he shouted out to Paul over the motor, "Need a lift?"

"Aye," Paul climbed in.

"Where's the campervan?"

"Long story," Paul replied as he held a piece of folded up paper in his hands while Duncan, trying to keep his eyes on the lane, cast them down upon the paper, "What's that?"

"Something I have to discuss with Archie."

"Oh,"

"Thanks for the lift."

"Welcome, off to see Claire in Inverness."

"At this hour?"

"Told Susan I'd pick her up for the weekend," Duncan gave a dignified nod of his head at Paul.

"Oh," Paul tipped his head and shut the land rover's door before waving Duncan on and walking toward the house. Archie scampered down the stairs and spoke out, "There you are, Paul."

"I was over to Ghillie's."

"I see,"

"Ran into Duncan going off to get Susan's sister," Paul smiled while Archie gave him an odd sideways glance, "I know Susan asked him too since you were not available. Something about her job keeping her from picking up Claire right away,"

Paul then gave a triumphant smile and held out the envelope in his hand to his brother as Archie asked, "What's this?"

"A gambling debt,"

"Oh no, don't tell me mother's at it again with horse races and...a deed?" Archie opened the envelope and pulled out an old parchment of paper and scratched his head...

"To Ghillie's Rest," Paul winked as Archie stared at him completely stunned.

"I see that, why is it in your hand?"

"McKellen and I played a game of snooker, I won the deed and he, well, won my ol' campervan."

"Well, you're going to have to return it back to him...you can't just 'win' a tavern over a silly placed snooker bet..."

"I just did, Archie. I won it fair and square. I even have a copy of a written agreement saying so..."

"Paul, are you mad?"

"Fergus McKellen was very grateful that I won that bet since you helped out his brother?"

"Tosh in a good time of need, yes, but you know nothing about running a tavern!"

"Gordon wants to teach me..."

"You can't teach dog new tricks..."

"Hey!"

"Look, you give that deed back to Fergus McKellen."

"Archie, I can't."

"Why not?"

"First I'm not an Indian giver and second, I gave Fergus 10,000 pounds."

"You did what!" Archie stuttered out, shocked, before asking, "Where did you get that kind of money?"

"Building loan...added it to the building expenses...only half of it was wrapped up into the loan, and I'll give him that check tomorrow. There's 5,000 pounds saved so I gave it to him..."

"Your savings? Yours and Susan's? She's going to flip..."

"I've already flipped—what's going on you two?" answered a voice from the stairway, "I can hear you all the way down the hall, the both of you."

"I can hear ya from the kitchen," Lexie answered as she waddled down the hall with her almost 5 month pregnant belly. Paul's mouth went into an upper lipped expression... "Well, I own Ghillie's Rest and I'm making my brother a partner..."

Susan and Lexie both exchanged startled glances and Archie stood there overwhelmed with anything but joy...

**Chapter Two'Family management meeting' ****J**

"I can't believe you...you spent 5,000 pounds for an old drink shack! What's wrong with you? Do you know how long it took for us to save all of that money? And for me to save it?" Susan stood there getting all upset and Lexie sat on the small sofa with her feet propped up on an ottoman.

"Susan, I did it for the family. I did it for Nigel or any future children besides I'm a snooker champ, remember and winner takes all—except I decided McKellen really wanted my campervan so I gave it away to him with some cash? We take ownership of the place tomorrow..."

"You're going to take that deed back to Fergus McKellen and get 'our' 5,000 pounds back!" Susan spat right out at Paul and his hair brained scheme.

Archie poured himself a drink from the craft and then bent down to tend to the fire in the fire place since it was showering outside, April showers, bring May flowers and June brings the wind...well the saying was right on tonight as the rains pelted the cylinder shaped, flag topped roves and stone checker blocked castle walls while the group continued to 'talk' about family business.

"Actually, I'm giving him more than that..."

"How much more?" Susan's eyes zoomed in on Paul...

"Um, well, you know our building loan..."

"Paul you didn't!" Susan lectured... "Those checks are for house supplies only! You don't write them out unless it's for the house! The bank gave us a loan but?"

"Suzy, you're really cute when you're angry... but I didn't have the checks with me...I owe McKellen 5,000 pounds and told him to come over for tea tomorrow to collect it." Paul tried to smile at her only she snatched a fire poker from Archie's hands as she threatened Paul with it, "You're still attractive...even with a fire poker..."

"Don't tempt me or I'll poke your eyes out with this, this thing!" Susan held out the poker and Archie sighed as Lexie's eyes widened and she laughed, "Maybe you should just feed him to the fire instead since he's become rotten ol' wood?"

Paul gave Lexie an unruly look and added, "I'm not rotten! I'm priceless!"

"Priceless can mean good painting, and you're not a picture perfect portrait, Paul!" Susan bantered back, while trying to insult him, as Lexie shook her head, "You'retoo much."

"Hand it over, Suzy, if anyone was to thump him, it would have been me and a long time ago, honest just give Paul a fair chance to explain himself to us..." Archie eyed Susan as she continued to hold out the fire poker, Archie replied, "You're really sure you won that place fair and square? What about McKellen's daughter-_Amanda?_ She sits at the board you know for the Lagganmore Distilleryshe bought the place from McKellen last year..."

Susan was reluctant to give up her weapon of choice to hit Paul with but she did so before sitting herself down on the old red velvet chaise lounge. Paul sighed, gave a smart nod of his head, "Of course I am an' his daughter and son don't want the place. Even Gordon had McKellen and I sign a paper saying it was all legal and he witnessed it."

"Paul, well, it could be a good source of revue for the estate..."

"McKellen said the MacDonald's were worthy people, who should run a tavern for all. He wanted someone honest to keep it going,"

Susan gave a haughty laugh and Paul's labeling of 'honest' and zeroed her eyes onto him again and he stared back at her and chanted, "Good and decent family to run it..."

"Well, if this is true we'll have to have counsel notarize it since McKellen signed over the deed, we'll check into it some more..." Archie added, "Only, since tax demand time gave us 5,000 pounds because we over paid them, Lex?" Archie scanned Lexie's face for some form of approval and got it.

Lexie smiled, "Aye, yes, the 5,000 tax demand check can be put in for the other 5,000 pounds..."

Archie's face softened, "You agree?"

"Archie, Ghillie's is a great place and with some love and care it could stay very family oriented and touristy...a real happy hour for all...since the deed is right there and it's the family's now, might as well, help support it."

"What if we lose money?"

"Then we find something to help get us out of it...you ran a restaurant, a tavern can't be that hard to do. Susan should agree with us all before taking it on," Lexie eyed Susan, whom blew out a breath "I still can't believe you."

"Well, it's a start, Lexie's right it's the family's nowSusan, I really want this to work..."

"How do you run an Indoor Climbing Arena and a tavern? And a wildlife centre?" Susan challenged as Lexie gave her a puzzled look, "She's got a point."

"Hire more staff?" Archie sighed at Paul's suggestion since day one, Paul always wanted Archie to hire more staff...he was destined to get his wish...

"I'll check into it. For now, I run the accounts for both the estate and wildlife centre—I'll take the wildlife centre over for you until you get Ghillie's underway. As for the Indoor Climbing Arena, it wouldn't be up and running until autumn. We have Golly, we have Duncan and we could hire on one more person, but for only 15,000 pounds a year since that's all that's left from the GRACE trust after cashing some of it up for yours and Suzy's land proposal and some building fees, aside from giving Golly his cabin and for paying for his eye surgery years ago."

"Does Lizzie agree? I mean you had to go through Lizzie to open that trust and not just Paul." Susan asked, remembering when Molly turned the trust over to Archie, Lizzie and Paul as first benefactors after the war over the rightful owners of the Glenbogle forestwhich turned out to be the MacDonalds or Hector's old trust called GRACE.

"I heard my name..." a voice spoke right up from the doorway and it was Lizzie, and she pouted too, "Family meeting without me?"

"Actually, it's more of a 'management' meeting...Paul and me..." Archie replied with stars in his eyes as he nodded his head towards his sister.

"Own Ghillie's Rest? I know I ran into Maura McKellen, Gordon's wife as I was closing up Mummy's shop. She was boasting about moving to the city finally after all of these years."

"Well, in order for the estate to run right, we need to hire on someone else...just until Paul and I get the family tavern running smoothly." Archie gave a wonderful triumphant nod of his head...his restaurant dream, owning one, running one, was in plain sight!

"I see, well, then, what does it have to do with me?"

"Well, we need your approval to open GRACE again and use 15,000 pounds to sponsor a new estate worker?"

"I see, so you just want my signature. I want more." Lizzie's eyes narrowed in.

"What do you mean?" Archie said exasperatedly.

"You and Lex get something—this tavern, Golly and mother get something—Golly's cabin, and Paul and Susan get somethingthis Indoor Climbing Arena and a houseMummy's got her shop after her hard earned painting and antique selling money—some of which her profits go straight into that trust to replace and money taken out and all..._what about me? I never asked for anything from that trust! Now I want something...if I help you out."_ Lizzie tilted her head at Archie, then Paul, Susan and Lexie.

"Lizzie, we're doing this whole change for you too...besides you acting like a bratty bairn."

"I'm not convinced and calling me names, Archie will get you no where!" as Lizzie, in a huff, shook her head and was about to turn on the balls of her feet and walk out of the room, when...

"You can have the huge 'training' room at the Indoor Climbing Arena to run any kind of group you like..." Susan spoke up as Paul eyed her and Archie too. Lexie laughed again, "Oh geez, here comes the..."

"You're kidding? New equipment included? " Lizzie said giddy and peered over to Susan as her face filled with joy, "You agree Paul?"

"I'm not sure I know what I'm agreeing too aside from what kind of equipment?" Paul waited for more information and Archie grumbled, "Oh lord! A 'Healing Centre' or a mud hut with sitting tiki dancers and people who walk around zombie-fied—that's what you want! Your equipment, right, Tarot cards, Yoga mats, massage table and chairs which hold your face as you lean forward for the 'massage' of a lifetimewhich is more like having someone hitting you repetitively with a cricket paddle and ruining your body! Foot oils? Right? "

"That's not fair! How dare you say that about Yoga, massages, séances with Tarot cards or reflexology! It's all relaxing and good for people! I'm good at massages, you even said so years ago when I needed a 'training' dummy for my courses while we BOTH lived in London! You offered yourself out, you know! I offered my help with your restaurant and my PR skills in return!" Lizzie argued and Archie judged,

"Oh right, aside from PR and suggesting get lots of food critics on my first open night at my restaurant long ago—what a bust that was! Busts, you wanted to turn this house into some crack job healing groupremember Gerald, one with sunshine coming out of his armpits? And how he almost drowns our dear father in the loch _and how he acted like he knew all about brother Jamie?_ Some healing lot that was! Supposeofly gave off psychedelic powers and made people do Buddha chanting'hummmmmmm—hummmmmmmmmmmmm'!" Archie folded his arms across his chest and then closed his eyes if he were praying to Buddha himself or something...Lizzie scowled as Archie had egged her on, now smiling, as he was the little brother whom loved to taunt his big sister.

"That's not true Archie!" Lizzie muttered, fed up with Archie's attitude, and stomped towards the door, "NO deal!"

Archie added and rolled his eyes, "Lizzie! Come back! I was only fooling, well some of it...Lizzie, I know you're tired of me running everything, but..."

Lexie spoke up, "Lizzie's got a real point there. She should have something she wants from that trust too."

"I do?" Lizzie stopped in her tracks and walked towards Lexie and Susan...

"She does?" Archie perked up at Lexie's suggestion...

Susan sighed, "I think Lizzie's got a marvelous dream and it should happen too."

"In the spare room of the Indoor Climbing Arena, Suz? I was going to keep gear in there and teach kids how to climb and?" Paul whined and Susan eyed him, and retorted, "Where's that fire poker when I need it? You can sharebesides it's not even BUILT yet!"

Paul gave a sigh and gave in...

"I want to run my group in the library of this house first. I need a relaxing atmosphere to come home too...you all need it and I need to have clients firstI am still a certified masseuse you know—how do you think I managed to live in London on my own—aside from PR work? I didn't make much money at trade fairs and I was unemployed for a little while after having Martha but it was my choice because I wanted to focus on family and not so much spending my life with my so called career..." Lizzie rubbed her forehead feeling a headache coming on after stating her case.

Archie gave in, "I want your signature...you can have your 'Healing' group only a few nights a week in the library—but, you help out with the tavern too and sign the trust so it can be opened again. Then we have an interview process to go through since we need to hire on a new worker..."

Lizzie's face formed a huge smile as she ran over to Susan to give her a hug and then to Archie, "I won't let you down!"

"You better not," Archie said as he hugged his sister, "Now about Buddha..."


	2. Parts 3 and 4

**Chapter Three... Love on the Run**

The next day...

_La da da da La da da da..._

I'm tugging at my hair  
I'm pulling at my clothes  
I'm trying to keep my cool  
I know it shows  
I'm staring at my feet  
My checks are turning red  
I'm searching for the words inside my head  
I'm feeling nervous  
Trying to be so perfect  
Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it  
Yeah

Claire was in the kitchen hanging out as Duncan sat at the table eating pot noodle as they were both conversing with Ewan about..._his love life_. At first Ewan didn't agree with them on how to romance Megan, but it was Duncan's suggestion that brought them to thinking on the same level.

"What time did you gander in?" Ewan asked as Claire laughed, "Getting kinda fatherly in your young age?"

"No, I was wondering that's all."

"The weather wasn't great for traveling so Duncan stayed up at Aunt Marjorie's with me and we came back this morn," Claire nodded her head as Duncan gave Ewan a dignified smile, "I slept in the back of the rover on my rave mattress."

Ewan joked, but also took a jab at Duncan, "I take it Aunt Marjorie didn't want to let your kind in? Since you smell funny and all?"

Duncan made a face at Ewan and rolled his eyes.

_If I could say what I want to say  
I'd say I want to blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?  
If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down  
On one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say_

"There's nothing wrong with him and Aunt Marjorie likes him all the same. He just told me he'd sleep in the rover," Claire stood up for Duncan who 'tuned in' and actually return smiled at her warmly.

"I see," Ewan continued to make his rabbit pie, after roasting the meat and then adding everything to the pie crust and dishturnips, carrots, potato and other ingredients.

"How's Megan?" Claire inquired as Ewan sighed out, "Still genuinely despises me..."

"Hate you? How could she? Someone as charming as yourself?" Claire razzed as she tossed a dish towel at Ewan who caught it in mid air.

"I'm afraid she's unsure of how she feels about me. Maybe hate is a bad word to use..."

"You're trying too hard," Duncan suggested as Ewan gave him a look, "What does that mean?"

"You romance her, tame her a bit, and make yourself mysterious," as Duncan stood up as if he were a 'super hero' there to save the day or Ewan from his love life crisis, "Give her lots of stuffed toys and flowers...girls dig that sort of thing...shower 'em wide with affection..."

"Um and how do you propose I do that?" Ewan's eyes leveled with Duncan's.

"It's easy you simply have someone deliver them to her from a secret admirer..." Claire announced as she winked at Duncan whose cheeks went red, before continuing to study her.

_It don't do me any good  
It's just a waste of time  
What use is it to you  
What's on my mind?  
If ain't coming out  
We're not going anywhere  
So why can't I just tell you that I care  
(Cause) I'm feeling nervous  
Trying to be so perfect  
Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it  
Yeah_

"Make sure you go through the gate to the backdoorit's a small white house with 'Murray's Locksmith' sign on the front lawn," Claire directed as Ewan had written the instructions down... "Man he's got bad penmanship..." Claire muttered as Duncan added, "My penmanship isn't any better you know..."

"Oh really, you have worse chicken scrawl ya think, do ya now, Mr. MacKay? I didn't think so me-self—hence you signed Megan's card!" Claire laughed, being sarcastic as she continued to read Ewan's directions to herself. They sat in the land rover as Minnie, in a car seat, and then tossed a toy up front at her father and Claire. She let out a 'look at me' giggle and 'Dada!' as Duncan kept his eyes on the road and tossed the stuffed animal bear back to Minnie from over his shoulder.

_If I could say what I want to say  
I'd say I want to blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?  
If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down  
On one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say_

"Yeah, but you have better writing you could have written on the card," Duncan focused his eyes on Claire again and then on the road.

"The card had to be in male handwriting!" Claire said smartly as Duncan grew very quiet, his cheeks went red all over again as he hung his head and sheepishly smiled at her comment. Duncan began to study Claire once again, before Claire shouted and pointed out, "There it is! Pull over!"

Duncan did as directed as the land rover came to a halt two blocks down from the small white house with the sign, 'Murray's Locksmith' hanging promptly from a sign post amongst the front lawn.

"Aye, operation flowers and toy drop is on..." Claire smiled as she winked, getting out of the passengers side, slinging her one arm backpack over her chest and Duncan then climbed out of the truck, before posing a question, "What do I do about Minnie?"

"Duncan, just take her with you..." Claire smiled as Duncan rolled his eyes and said...

"I can't do that, Claire. I'll wait in the truck."

"And how do I divert Megan? Just tell Megan you came to the village for a walk..." Claire suggested as she watched Duncan shrug his shoulders open the back of the land rover, about to unlatch the seatbelt from Minnie's body but a light bulb went on in his head, "Easier said than done...wait, I need the pram..."

"Duncan..." Claire took over with Minnie as Duncan walked to the back of the land rover and yanked the hatch back door open, "I need the pram as a prop, you know for distraction? Claire just gimme a minute to get it!"

_What's wrong with my tongue  
These words keep slipping away  
I stutter  
I stumble  
Like I've got nothing to say  
Yes, I'm feeling nervous  
Trying to be so perfect  
Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it  
Yeah_

La da da da La da da da...

Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say

Duncan dragged out the pram and set it on the pavement. However to Duncan's dismay, the carriage had a mind of its own. As Duncan set the carriage up, it kept collapsing and crashing downward towards the ground. Duncan shouted aloud, "What goes up must come down, aye? No, up! Up, up I say! This is rubbish do as I say!"

Duncan continued to duel with baby stroller for at least a good five minutes, as his kilt got stuck in one of the wheel wells. Claire let out a laugh and then Minnie, "Come on Duncan, it's an inanimate object for cryin' out loud, show it whose boss...let's go!"

"Ha ha, right...I'll show it who's boss..." grumbled Duncan as he struggled to free his kilt from the evil clutches of the pram. Just as Duncan noticed one of the passerbyers walking by the truck, watching him intently, "Need help, Duncan?"

Duncan replied, "Nothing I can't handle, Mrs. Shepard, good day to you!" As the pram crashed again and Duncan waved on Mrs. Shepard, the shrugging old, wide eyed, lady with a pink hat and suit, right along. After Duncan blew out an exasperated breath, he twisted his body again finally winning the war with the carriage as it stood beside the truck, locked in place and ready for action. Claire rolled her eyes and laughed as Minnie giggled again.

_If I could say what I want to say  
I'd say I want to blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?  
If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down  
On one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say_

These things I'll never say

_Avril Lavigne_

"Quiet, we're supposed to be keeping a simply shallow profile, you call that low?" Claire shook her head mockingly with a chuckle and a triumphant Duncan grinned as he stood with one hand resting on the pram while it started to roll away. Duncan caught it in time and rolled it towards Claire, "See, told ya it would only take a minute..."

"That's fine, Duncan, but let's go!" Claire replied with a chuckle as she helped Duncan place a very overjoyed Minnie into the baby stroller.

"You really think Ewan should go through this?" Duncan peeped, as he pushed a happy Minnie with a cap on her head along in the pram, as Claire laughed, "Don't tell me you never played MI5 as a Bairnaccording to my sister she used to call it, 'Cloak and Dagger'—I think that's while she was living in Texas."

"Aye, no, aye, yes, all right, I'll get the binoculars..." Duncan sighed as he grabbed them from his sporran and then started to look through the eye holes before replying, "Coast is clear, let's go," as they strolled towards the small white housegetting to the front gate, when they both saw Megan walking out of the front door of her house...Duncan and Claire quickly jumped behind a tree as their heads, one by one glanced around the tree trunk in the direction of the house. Duncan blew out a breath as his eyes did a roll, "That was close...wait, I forgot Minnie!"

Duncan noticed he left Minnie right in the middle of the sidewalk, near the house gate, and sitting in the pram, as she giggled out, "Dada!"

"Not close enough, c'mon Duncan, grab Min, I have to make way to the back door..." Claire and Duncan inched towards the front gate again. However, Megan had walked back inside for just a split second...and then out again...Claire sighed, "You distract her, I'll drop off the package for her at the back gate."

Megan put her handbag over her shoulder as Duncan strolled up to her while Claire nodded and waved him on as she scaled over the back fence and disappeared from Duncan's sight.

"Duncan? Little Minnie?" Megan asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"

"Came to visit ya, Min an' I...an' er, well, I need, um, well, I need a...key. I need a key!"

"A key?" Megan inquired as Duncan gave a nod of his head and then spoke up in a low tone with a roll of his eyes, "I need a key to start the land rover and I think I might've lost it on your lawn."

Megan gave him a strange look as she turned her attention to a happy-go-lucky Minnie, "How did you lose the land rover key on my parent's front lawn? How's Minnie today?"

Minnie beamed as Megan tickled her under her chin and gestured to be picked up, but Megan declined as she tuned-in to Duncan.

Meanwhile, Claire inched her way to the back door, over the chain linked fence, set down the flowers and the toy down on the back door stoop as trouble then started to brew_: Ewan never warned Claire about Megan's dogs! _Claire glanced at the two German Shepards as she spoke and gulped, "Oh, hi...nice doggies...really nice doggies, I'm not fresh meat...or as fresh as you think..." as the watch dogs started to growl at her. Duncan and Minnie continued to preoccupy Megan as they were both talking about the land rover key at the front of the house. Minnie still sat in the pram, joyous as she could be, while Duncan walked onto Megan parents' lawn after skipping the gate.

"I lost it. I need to make a new one...Archie wants a spare key made..." Duncan's face went into a nervous dimpled smile. Megan continued to look at him strangely as she chatted to Minnie, "Dada can't get a new key with out finding the other one, can he?"

Minnie matter of factly and coincidently shook her head 'no.' Megan glanced at Duncan all confused and questioned again,

"Are you sure it's on my parents' lawn? What's that?" Megan heard the dogs from the back of the house stir... "Something's wrong with Marmaduke and Nancy, Duncan?"

"Actually, I think I spotted it! It's there!" Duncan shouted out as he had tossed the truck key over to another side of the lawn while Megan wasn't looking and then grabbed her by the arm, tackling her down to point out the key. Megan replied in an even more confused and disarrayed state, "Wwwwwhere? Whoa! Duncan!"

Claire, unscathed by the 'ferocious canines', jumped the fence swiftly as the German Shepards started to bark and growl once again as Claire escaped from the backyard without Megan seeing her. Megan within moments got up from off of the lawn, said with a grumble, "I better go check on them, Duncan...bye bye Minnie."

"See, aye, there it is, Megan! Me found it!" Duncan shouted with a huge beam and then a 'Huh? Where's she going?' thought in his head as he held up the 'new found' key and said, turning his attention to Minnie, who said instantaneously, "UH OH!"

Just as Duncan added, "No, wait, Megan!" and glanced at Minnie again, "We've made a whoopies daisy, haven't we, aye? Claire's gonna kill me..."

Minnie distinctly giggled out again, "Dada!" as Duncan, in hi-tailed escape mode, rolled Minnie quickly back to the land rover.

Megan made way to the back of the house and through the back fence gate. She noticed both dogs ripping a bouquet of flowers to bits and chewing on a present. Megan sighed as she shooed them both away and reclaimed the chewed up present and the flowers as the torn up card had, 'For Megan from your secret admirer' written on it. Megan turned back towards the front of the house with the flowers and present in her hand to talk to Duncan and Minnie, but they were gone, "hmmmm," Megan pondered to herself as she shrugged again.

Claire had made way back to the land rover before Duncan who immediately asked out of breath, "You okay?"

"Mind me to bop Ewan for not telling us about Megan's 'pets'! I'm fine really."

"How'd you get past them?" Duncan quipped very concerned as Claire inhaled and exhaled still, after her sprint.

"Just did my best 'Dog whisperer' impression before jumping the fence and having them go wild again. You kept Megan occupied?"

"Aye," Duncan managed to quickly store the carriage into the back of the truck as Claire placed Minnie in her car seat before they both drove away. When they returned Ewan was in the kitchen working away with chopped up vegetables, meats, while making some sort of divine sauce for it all. Claire traveled into the kitchen with Duncan and Minnie not far behind her.

"Well?" Ewan questioned as Claire eyed him, "The deed is done. Now you sit and wait."

"I have to wait? Why?"

"Ewan, give Megan time to adjust to having an 'admirer'."

"Oh all right. You did do it though?" Ewan asked again to be sure Claire wasn't pulling his leg and telling him the truth.

"Did what?" Duncan inquired thinking Ewan spoke of something else—something that could have happened between Claire and he, when Claire and Ewan weirdly glanced at him.

Ewan rolled his eyes and added, "The flowers, the present, the 'girly' shower of affection and that jazz?"

"Oh YES!" Duncan nodded and dropped his head as his cheeks grew all red, assuming Ewan said he had been doing something affection wise with Claire, and he spoke right up—in order to make it clear that he knew what Ewan asked about, "I made out the card."

Ewan smiled with approval, "Well at least she'll know it's a man."

Claire laughed and glanced at Duncan, "Now about Megan's German Shepards..."

"I had no idea she had dogs," Ewan instantly said, noticing Claire's 'you could have warned me about them' look.

"Well, she does. We're going to have to figure out how to get past them for the second phase of you being her secret admirer."

"Second phase?"

"Well, every lass wants a serenade in the evening?" Claire replied as Duncan and Ewan gave her funny looks.

"I don't sing..." Duncan added, getting worried...as Claire smiled and Ewan added, "Neither do I!"

"C'mon, where's the spirit!" Claire laughed as Ewan suggested, "What if Megan assumes I'm not her admirer and she thinks it's someone else? What good will it do me, if we serenade her?"

"Ewan, every time you've made a move on her she got disgusted...and why's that?"

"Well, she didn't succumb to my charm. She liked the motorbike ride home...didn't like it when I danced with her Hogmanay...despised my biscuit baking—which was your idea mind you! She thought I poisoned her or something...actually, word for word, 'Oh how sweet, Ewan, but I don't eat biscuits'?" Ewan imitated Megan as he went crossed eyed and spoke in a high-pitched 'girly-girl' voice and batted his eyelashes. Duncan chuckled as Claire glanced at Ewan smugly.

"She took those flowers and that gift...and that was my idea as well!" Claire noted and stuck out her tongue at Ewan once again. Minnie laughed at Claire as she hung to Duncan's right hip and watched the trio converse.

"Look, I've made many failed attempts to 'woo her' and I don't know how this 'secret admirer' bit is going to work."

"You're being pessimistic, Ewan," Claire answered, "Megan must like you a wee bit to at least acknowledge your existence! You do fancy her? Do you not?"

"Aye, you...you almost had me there," Ewan joked and pointed a wooden spoon at Claire, "Of course, I like her! I'm so into her it's driving me crazy!"

"Trust me. She's gonna like the 'secret admirer' bit...she'll realize how perfect and incredibly romantic you are too. Now's the time to show her you really love her!"

Duncan sighed, as he continued to stare longingly at Claire while she advised Ewan and his 'disastrous love life' of what to do. Ewan then caught Duncan staring at Claire. Duncan darted his eyes immediately away and Ewan laughed as Claire cast her eyes at the house chef, asking, "What?"

"Nothing," Ewan snickered as he continued to prepare dinner for the house. Duncan hung his head and let out a lovesick sigh, while just Claire shrugged her shoulders and surveyed Duncan. Ewan then asked getting a little worried, "How long do I wait before I tell her it's me—as her admirer?"

**Chapter Four'Elementary, My Dear Watson...'**

Megan arrived at the big house later that afternoon to speak with Lexie and Archie. She wasn't sure as to how they would both take her news, but she had to give them some notice of her leaving Glenbogle. Megan sat on a chair outside of the library waiting for Lexie to arrive at the door. Archie had told her to just sit down and relax and that he'd handle Lexie.

"Megan?" Lexie replied as she traveled from the kitchen to the library entranceway and Archie looked up at them both from the old desk.

"We're not supposed to see you until tomorrow?" Lexie said as Megan handed her a letter, "What's this?"

"I'm so sorry, but I have to give my notice, Lexie."

"Your notice?" Archie's brows rose at Lexie's reply, hoping she wasn't going to get upset and she didn't.

Megan then added nervously, "I meant to tell you sooner but in one week, I'm to be going to RSAMD in Glasgow, well, in the autumn but there's a summer theater group for amateurs that I'm in."

"I see," Lexie frowned but then forced a smile, Megan had been a godsend with the children and she would be missed greatly...Lexie wasn't sure how she'd find a replacement in one week's time.

"Well, congrats for getting into school and the theater group," Archie smiled warmly as Lexie cast her eyes in Archie's direction about to ask how he knew about Megan going to drama school.

"I knew about it, Lexie."

"You knew about this? And you didn't say something?" Lexie didn't get upset with Archie while Megan stood in front of her.

"I'm so sorry." Megan said again as Lexie sighed, "Nothing wrong with moving on with your life. You've been very helpful for me. You could always come back on summers you know..."

"Very good of you, but I can't make those guarantees since I might be traveling with the same theater company over this summer, next year."

"Oh." Lexie's voice dropped an octave as she smiled again, "Well, we'll have to let you go then, aye?"

"I'm so sorry,"

"Don't apologize, it's silly, just make sure you're here for the week and then we'll settle up your pay," Lexie lead Megan out of the library and held onto her letter. Megan feeling better about resigning, smiled, waved at the twins who were out in the garden with Claire and Duncan as she made way to her bicycle. Lexie returned to the library.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lexie's eyes narrowed in on Archie as she groaned.

"What do you mean?" Archie scanned Lexie's face, and could tell she was upset about Megan leaving...

"You knew she was quitting on me?"

"Lexie, Megan's young, you said so yourself, she needs to move right along...she said she was planning on drama school in the autumn so I told her just to clue me in when she gets in."

"Now we have to find someone else to tend to the twins since I have to supervise Ewan in the kitchen!"

"Lex, Ewan's been in the kitchen for months now, his training should be somewhat over...besides, you're pregnant, what better way to spend more of your time with just the twins before the baby arrives."

"Doesn't matter, Archie, what are we gonna do?"

"Lexie, we hired Megan on to tend to the twins while you cooked in the kitchen, Ewan's here now, there's really no need for another nanny."

"But I need another nanny!" Lexie grumbled, "Finding a nanny was in my department, not yours, I decide if I need one or not and I do! I am part of the management am I not?"

"Lex,"

"No Arch, I need someone else to help me tag team the twins...you're busy working the estate and all of the other appendage properties."

"I'll check into it, Lexie, in the meantime, rest and watch the twins as it's your only job now."

"I want to put an ad in the paper..."

"Very well, I'll come up with one..." said Archie, trying to shush up Lexie as he lead her out of the library by placing an arm around her shoulders, "I need to work on these books and I'll help you with the twins in about thirty minutes, okay?"

Lexie sighed, still not happy, "Half of an hour?"

"Yes, just relax, I will help you," Archie placed a kiss on Lexie's brow as he turned back into the library to finish what he was doing.

Claire sat up on the twin bed as she continued to scribble and toss paper onto the floor just as Susan entered the room. Susan came in to check on Claire and tell her about dinner.

"It's time for you to get ready for dinner," Susan suggested as she glanced over to Claire, who moaned again, ripped paper from her notepad and tossed it onto the floor, "You all right?"

"You know how two weekends ago you suggested I should write my heart donor's family a letter? I'm having no luck with what I want to say..."

"Oh." Susan picked up a piece of balled paper and studied Claire's writing, 'Dear family, I'm writing to you on the behalf of your love one's heart...'

"This doesn't sound too bad Claire..."

"Well, it is. I don't know what to tell them, Suz, you're better at words than I am!" Claire spoke up exhausted and rolled her eyes too.

"Just tell them, you're happy to be alive and your gratitude goes to them for..."

"The heart?" Claire sighed again.

"I can help you write it you know."

"I know, I just every time I sit down to write it, I feel really bad."

"You're not supposed to feel bad, Claire."

"How am I supposed to feel?"

"Claire, that family lost someone dear, and the heart of their love one kept you alive and going...you'll know what to say."

"You think so?"

"Just tell them you're successful because of them too...there's lots of ways to express grand feelings. For now, let's get ready for dinner and I'll help you with it afterwards."

"Actually, I'm kinda busy, Suz, after dinner...that's why I was trying to write it now, I just feel terrible that I'm trying to correspond and I don't know what to say to them." Claire remembered the serenade she had promised to join Duncan and Ewan at Megan's that night.

"Well, I guess we'll have to work on it tomorrow?" Susan gestured full of heart.

"Sounds okay," Claire frowned, scribbled over another piece of paper and tossed it onto the floor.

"Just get ready for dinner..." Susan snagged the pad of paper away from Claire and set it on the bedside table before patting her shoulder.

Duncan found himself going through all of his drawers, trying to find the best shirt to wear to dinner, as he was in the middle of getting dressed a knock came to the door. Duncan quickly tossed his shirt on just as the door opened...

"Lexie!" Duncan scrambled to fix his kilt and then sporran, trying to hide his 'unexposed' self to her swiftly, but Lexie was to upset to take notice. She entered the room and pushed past Duncan, in a harried state, and sat herself down on the lower bunk bed.

"You all right?"

"Megan's leaving, Archie told me he would help with the twins and he hasn't...he said 'half of an hour' and never showed! Twins still need dinner and I don't know what to do..." Lexie stared at Duncan hoping he'd help her out while tears formed in her eyes as her pregnancy hormones were taking over her body and mind once again.

"How do you mean?"

"Megan gave her notice today and now I'm without a nanny as of next week."

"Can't you put an ad in for a new one?"

"That's just it! Arch doesn't think I need a new nanny," Lexie frowned in despair, "its one thing to tend to the twins by myself over the weekend but seven days a week without Arch's help?"

"Listen to you, you've become spoiled," Duncan chuckled but Lexie didn't see the humor in Duncan's joke.

"I love tending to the twins, but I need some help around here with them—you think you can help when you're not busy?" Lexie called on Duncan to help her out as he was still one of her best friends in this world and knew she could count on him.

"Well, I have Minnie, you know..."

"Duncan, I looked after her for you all of those months, you could at least help me with feeding the twins, please, pretty please with sugar on top, just for tonight?"

Duncan smiled, "Just relax, I'll help out, it's not like Archie to not do as he says though?"

"Archie's been swapped with Ghillie's Rest ever since Paul won it," Lexie mumbled as she rolled her eyes, "And now he's so busy with this 'grand' opening of the place that he doesn't seem to be living up to what he says on the family end. He's still taking over the wildlife center books for Paul, while he deals with his and Susan's house plans... I need Archie and he's not there! What do I do?"

"I'll rescue you, meet me down in the kitchen, and we'll sort this all out." Duncan reassured Lexie, who grinned, "You're sure?"

"Of course,"

Lexie stood up from the bedside, "aye, we meet soon?"

"Lex, yes, now, lemme," Duncan glanced down his body, hoping Lexie would get the drift to leave the room so he could finish taking care of himself.

"Oh all right," Lexie sniffed as she wandered out of the room when Duncan shrugged his shoulders. They didn't know that Claire had been out in the hall listening to Lexie and Duncan chat about her needing help with the twins. Claire decided to disappear off to the kitchen minutes before Lexie had left the room.

"Have either of you seen the twins? I left them in the play room...but..."

Lexie, who was worried about losing her children, found Claire and Susan in the kitchen twenty minutes later with the twins sitting in high chairs as they were stuffing their faces with mashed sweet potatoes and bits of rabbit meat.

"Yes, they are here and being fed," Claire winked at Lexie who let out a sigh of major relief. Susan smiled at Claire and then Lexie, "We thought we'd help you out with feeding them, if it's okay?"

Lexie smiled while relief came over her once more, "Thank-you. How'd you know?"

"I over heard you and Duncan talking about it, I thought you needed the extra hands since Archie's been busy with the estate and properties," Claire confessed and Jayne let out a vivid giggle, "Mummy! YUM!"

"Yummy to your wee tum-tum?" Lexie laughed at her daughter, and then turned her attention to Claire, "Well, I did need the help since Archie's been frantic."

Susan smiled and rolled her eyes, "Well, Paul bit off more than he can chew too and I know it's aggravating to have no help when you need it most. You should have just asked me, Lexie."

"I thought you were overly preoccupied with work, so I didn't want to bother you."

"No bother, no bother at all," Susan chuckled to Wayne as she wiped his sweet potato face with a cloth bib.

Lexie then felt the need to sit down as she rubbed her slightly showing baby belly and as her tummy rumbled out famished, she sighed at how hungry she was too. Within moments, Duncan entered the room, smiled at Lexie, "Looks like you don't need me, eh?"

"I need you, to make the baby something to eat," Lexie rattled out as Ewan came into the kitchen, "But it's almost dinner time..."

"Bread and cheese or something..." Lexie retorted as Duncan did as he was told and Ewan checked on the dinner.

"Aye, will do."

Later that night, in the middle of a star lit sky, three figures dressed in black ski masks, all black clothing, except for one wearing a kilt, and torches. The trio moved towards 'Murray's Locksmith' sign at the front of the small white house.

"Now what do we do?" The first voice replied as the second said, "Be quiet for one...there's a light on in each upstairs room, which is hers?"

The first voice chimed out, "The one to the left,"

"There's three windows to the left?" The third voice mumbled, "Ouch! You're stepping on my foot!"

"Sorry, that was me..." said the second voice sympathetically.

The third voice gave out the instructions, "Now, we stroll up over the gate get over to the bushes and the trellis, and you climb upwards."

"Uh, no, I'm afraid of heights!" The first voice muttered as the third gave out a disgruntled sigh, "Must I do everything for you?"

"What do we do if the trellis breaks?"

"Don't worry it won't," The third voice suggested as the first and second started to disagree.

"I'm not climbing it" said the second voice and added, "Me not,"

"What you afraid of heights too?" The third voice accused the second.

"I'm wearing a kilt, Claire!" The second figure revealed the third voice as the third figure snickered, revealing the second voice, "It's not like I haven't seen men's knickers before Duncan..."

"Will you two be quiet? Someone's coming! Duck!" The first voice full of alarm snapped out to Duncan and Claire, as it was Ewan and he wasn't sure if this poetic serenade idea was going to work out. All three of them dashed over the fence, landing on each other, like the Three Stooges, as an elderly couple wandered by the house. Ewan's head popped up as he scanned over the side to make sure the couple walked far enough away.

"Well, what are you waiting for...climb it and we'll stay down here and you go tell her your poem," Claire rubbed her aching elbow after Duncan helped her up from the pile they made on the lawn. They then did a Mission Impossible dance to the side of the house where the trellis was hanging off the brick chimney.

Ewan scampered up the trellis after getting a foot boost from Claire and Duncan. The wooden ivy bracket started to shake as Ewan went up and up and up...as he reached the top, he looked down at Claire with both of his hands clutching the trellis, "Now, how am I supposed to alert her? I can't knock!"

"I know!" Duncan grinned as he bent down to the uneven ground, with his hands picked up a few pebbles and he threw them at what they all believed was Megan's bedroom window. Of course, Duncan over extended his arm and the pebbles went through the open window.

Just as the pebbles with a clang landed on the floor, to what was Megan's parents' bedroom. Megan's father Hector Murray stirred as he got up, remembering the window was open and hearing Marmaduke and Nancy starting to bark outside as he hollered out, "Quiet!" and then shut the window, narrowly missing Ewan's fingers! As Ewan noted the light from the room shut off and then he realized the trellis started to rattle again. Ewan, who was relieved not to be caught by Megan's father, decided to descend...

"That's not her room... and her dogs are going nuts now." Ewan said, still believing it wasn't a good idea to be trying to serenade Megan at this hour or any hour as his feet planted firmly on the ground.

Claire decided on another plan, "it's gotta be the window to the right of it...let's try the trellis again..."

"Claire, the thing is rickety, I'm lucky I didn't fall off and bust my head open!"

"Ewan, where is your sense of romance?" Claire scolded him and he shrugged, before snickering without glee once again...

"It left me when Megan's father almost shut my hand in his window!"

"Quickly, bushes, someone's waking up again!" Duncan alerted Claire and Ewan as they hid in the bushes once again. This time the right window opened, Megan needed some fresh air, as her light stayed on, and Claire noticed Megan and said, nudging Ewan, "Look, she's there. I told you she's to the right..."

"Fine, but the trellis doesn't reach over there, so now what do I do?"

"We human totem pole it." Claire nodded her head matter of factly as Duncan and Ewan exchanged long worrisome glances, as Claire laughed, "I'm on bottom,"

"No I'm on bottom." Duncan stated firmly reminding Claire of his kilt with his tone.

"Fine, let's just do it..." Claire replied with an eye roll and Ewan said, "Where am I?"

"You're on top of my shoulders..." Claire retorted as Ewan gave her a look, "You're kidding?"

"Ewan, just do as I say, someone's coming again..." as they made another mad dash into the bushes and Megan looked out her window, thinking she had heard someone...but decided it was probably from the street. Megan's eyes studied the gift and flowers that she had received earlier in the day. As she sighed as her fingers traced the card, she turned to the window to see Ewan. Megan jumped startled as she pulled her nightgown tight, "What on earth?"

"Oh hi," Ewan smiled as he hung over the side, Duncan on the bottom of the totem, Claire in the middle as Ewan had carefully and diligently climbed up Duncan and then Claire to make the top of the totem.

"Ewan what are you doing? You're gonna get yourself killed!" Megan helped grab him over the side of the window as he applied his body weight onto Claire's shoulder, then her head! Claire tried to stay quiet even though having Ewan stepping on her head hurt. Ewan hoisted himself up and over her...while Megan tugged him inside.

"Oh I dun no, just thought I'd pay you a wee night visit?" Ewan was safely on two feet standing in Megan's room. Ewan shut the window and smiled again as Claire and Duncan began to wobble, and then they both fell backward, tumbling into the bushes, Duncan almost yelling out, "AHHHHH!" but Claire placed her hand over Duncan's mouth to silence him.

Duncan immediately helped Claire up again, and whispered, "You all right?"

"I'm good, I am. Operation poetic serenade complete, now we wait for the outcome." Claire winked as she grabbed Duncan's hand and they took off for the land rover, leaving Ewan in Megan's room.

Ewan and Megan stood there staring at each other as he spoke right up, "I see you got my flowers and bear?"

Megan turned her head to the gifts and stated, with a nervous laugh, "You're my secret admirer?"

"Well, yes, it is me in the flesh, what's wrong?" Ewan smiled like he had done something wonderful for Megan and instead Megan glanced at him very guilty.

"Sorry, I can't accept them." Megan handed him back the flowers and the bear.

"Why not? They are for you?" Ewan answered as he hung his head, "For months, Megan, I have tried to tell you that I?"

"I knew you fancied me, but no matter how many gifts you give, biscuits you bake, being as sickening lovey dovey while dancing with me...it doesn't change the fact that I feel nothing for you, Ewan."

"Oh." Ewan's heart sank as he hung his head again.

"I'm so sorry, but I'm leaving Glenbogle in one week and even if I did like you back, I have a whole other life ahead of me in Glasgow."

"There's nothing there, Meggy, I lived therewhy do you think my parents moved me up here! Wait a minute, you're leaving? I drove you away?" Ewan became know-it-all about Glasgow and then began to panic when he saw that Megan was serious about moving away.

"No, Ewan, in a couple weeks for a traveling theater group and then I start RSAMD school in a matter of months...I'm born to be an actress. There is something in Glasgow for me."

"Oh." Ewan's head dropped again as he spoke right up, "Who'd help Mrs. Lexie with her twins?"

"I don't know, but it's not me after Friday," Megan's mouth went into a smile as she set him straight on her feelings about her and him, "No hard feelings, Ewan, you're just not my type. You never have and you really never will be."

Ewan took the huge hint, as his mind forgot about reciting Megan his silly love poem that Claire and Duncan helped him write that afternoon and with the flowers and bear in tow, Megan lead him down the stairs and out of the house.

"I'm so sorry, Ewan. You'll find someone better. I'll see you tomorrow."

Megan shut the door to her parents' house and also on Ewan's now broken heart. Ewan strolled off the front steps, tossed the flowers into the bushes and then carried the bear by one leg back to the land rover as he transcended into the back of the truck, Claire and Duncan, started to pester him for a response.

"Well?"

"How'd it go?"

"Oh it went all right!" Ewan remarked sarcastically and concluded huffy, "Megan's leaving Glenbogle and never wants to see me again! Just drive!" Claire and Duncan exchanged glances as they headed back to the house, while Ewan pouted in the backseat with the bear, clutched to his chest.


	3. Parts 5 and 6

**Chapter FiveTea time and Elections? (A/N: I know nothing about village counsels and how they work so I made most of this 'election' idea of a 'regional' counsel up for the story LOL)**

On Monday morning Lexie journeyed into the library with tea cups, saucers, and goodies as she set up the room for a 'meeting' with Angus and Gordon McKellen since Paul had made mention of the meeting at dinner last night and Archie forgot to tell her. Archie was pretty much snoozing on a pillow of paper invoices at the ancient desk when Lexie came into the room humming a tune so she could void out her sleeping husband—_well almost_.

Lexie kept humming away as she hummed around the desk and even louder into sleeping Archie's ear. Lexie tickled his face with her feather duster as his nose wrinkled and he continued to sleep. Lexie stomped over to the couch and started to fluff a couple pillows and on purpose move chairs around making louder noisesshe was doing everything possible to now wake Archie without saying a word directly to him. Archie suddenly awoke, lifted his head off of the paper work, and groggily said, "Lex?"

Lexie paused for a moment with her humming and dusting, before she then continued again. Archie cocked his head to the side, yawned, stretched soberly and stood right up. Lexie continued to 'straighten' up the library.

"I'm sorry judging by the look on your face, you're not too impressed that I fell asleep down here..."

"My face and its looks are relevant! You didn't just fall asleep, Arch, you forgot about your children last night and then me. It's one thing to run an estate, but to let an estate run you?" Lexie snapped and began humming again. Archie sighed empathetically, made way over to Lexie to console her. Archie latched out his arms to embrace his wife, and instead missed her body completely, and ended up hugging thin air. As Lexie had dropped down onto a high back chair simultaneously with her husband's hugging action.

Archie sighed again, "Lexie, I'm just a wee bit short handed now and out of my depth..."

"Short handed, aye? Hmmm, join the club!" Lexie made a crack at not having a nanny after Friday to help her with the twins and some of the house duties.

"Now look, I'm sorry to wind you up. I told you I'd think about the fact of hiring another nanny. Frankly, I didn't deliberately avoid you or the twins last night."

"Paul told us what you were up to during dinner hour and I assumed you would have at least stopped and took a break like! I found out from him about this 'business' meeting with the McKellen's to finalize Ghillie's plans. It was such short notice that Ewan couldn't handle it and juggling lunch at the same time!"

"Look, I might have stretched us a wee bit thin, but the estate has grown and it's successful because?"

"Ya got a family Arch, and ye're married to me! I don't understand why ya couldn't have taken a wee breather from accounting to help me feed the twins' dinner or to sit down with us all at the table! Or actually retire to our bed!"

"You haven't had any problems with feeding them on your own before...let alone sleeping on your own...sorry, I can't help it."

"Archie!" Lexie snipped before finally tossing her hands up in the air only for Archie to catch them and sit himself down on the matching ottoman in front of her. Archie gazed lovingly and warmly into Lexie's paled blue eyes, and hoping he could convince her to not stay mad at him.

"I'm so sorry. I am. The room looks spiffy though...just the vision I had in my mind." Archie tried to get back into Lexie's good graces, by commenting on her taste for decor. Lexie's eyes narrowed in on him and her nose now wrinkled as she was still miffed at Archie for putting her and his family on the back burner for one day, "Yer no a sight for these sore eyes if you keep on..."

"I know, I know, you know I'm just helping out. In the meantime, maybe I need to hire another accountant to do the dirty math, but I can't trust?"

"I could cook the estate books—I've done it before!" Lexie said matter of factly.

"Lex, it's not like cooking supper, you need to handle it all...you're pregnant, need rest, not stress. You were very down and out knackered with the books when you were first pregnant with the twins. I had never seen you so harried at tax demand time."

"Not fair! I was miserable because of the 'disastrous' paper pile in 'The Vault' and I had no idea I was pregnant then or going to be!

"The twins, we didn't even find out about them until after Jamie's bedroom, do over and I was a guid month along and then right after the honeymoon we found out!

"Archie, you can't let anything between us or your bairns suffer because you took on 'added' estate responsibilities!" Lexie started to ramble on and on, while blowing a few strands of her dark hair out of her face and frowning upon Archie and his puzzling looks.

"I know and again I'm sorry, I just got swamped with stuff, it was only 24 hours and I'm all yours now."

"Right, after the McKellen's show up," Lexie snickered as she rolled her eyes exasperatedly. Archie's face lit up and he glanced at his watch, "What time is it? Who helped you last night with the twins?"

"Dun worry, its half past noon. Claire and Susan fed 'em. I like her, Archie. Claire. She seemed very down to earth about it and how the kids should be tended too!" Lexie informed Archie with mind over matter.

"Lex, I didn't mean to not..." Archie then assumed Lexie was accusing him of not caring about the twins' well being, and Lexie's face softened as she didn't want to continue bickering.

"Arch, I'm not out to take a jab at you. I'm going to miss Megan's help and she's not someone who is easy to replace.

"You're a mess, Arch, might as well bathe up, since your company will be incoming and soon.

"An' ya might want to scrub that print off yer chin-hey." Lexie decided to end the conversation by standing up, giving Archie's head an elegant gentile rub with her hand, and then walking out of the room.

Archie, who let Lexie go, wondering what Lexie was talking about, wandered over to an old foggy glassed mirror in the far corner of the library. Archie let out a sigh as he tried to hand erase the black lettering written across his chin, cheeks, and forehead after 'sleeping on the job.' Just as Archie turned around to go clean himself up with soap and water, Angus and Gordon McKellen had arrived with Paul. The men waltzed into the room as Archie smiled, while still swiftly trying to wipe black bold print off of his face.

"Archie MacDonald, Paul," Angus McKellen said dignified, "Nice to see you."

"Yes, nice as well, do come in and sit down," Archie directed Angus to a seat and was about to shake his hand, but then thought better of it after noticing black ink on his palm. Archie spoke up to Gordon, "Grand of you to join us."

"Archie, grand of you and Paul to take on the place," Gordon grinned and bobbed his head upwards.

"Yes, well, I hope to keep up your tradition, tea? Lexie brought in some tea and goods which our cook Ewan made," Archie gestured to the cups and saucers with the three level porcelain cake tray, biscuits on one level, scones on the next and then puffy pastries down below. Gordon was about to snag one of the baked goodies when Angus tapped him with his cane and he changed his mind 'suddenly'.

"I came to take care of business first and then the tea," Angus replied sternly, hoping Paul wasn't going back on his word about the campervan. Paul spoke right up, "Oh right, papers for the camper van, keys..."

"That's good, Gordon and I brought you both a box out in the front hall..." as Angus sat there staring at Gordon for him to go get it. As Gordon stood up they heard a loud yell, from the front hall, and everyone went to see what matter was.

Lizzie kicked the trunk after falling over it and bellowed out, "Who put this blasted thing in my way?"

"Lizzie, you all right?" Archie asked out of pure concern as he was the first to appear in the front hall from the library. Archie noted the size of the old metal container and assumed when Angus meant 'box' he meant _trunk_.

"I'm off for a special luncheon with Compton and I just dumped my juice all over myself! Martha forgot her lunch, I came home for it, and here in the middle of the floor is some old moth ball smelly thing!

"Now I have to get changed before Compton arrives at the shop and Martha goes hungry!" Lizzie traveled away all upset and in a blustering hurry.

Angus glanced at Archie as he glanced back at him, "Sorry, my sister, goes a wee bit over the edge..."

"No problem, it's _your_ trunk that tripped her up, not mine," Angus grinned relieved as Archie relaxed and Paul spoke up again, "Shall we get back to business before the tea?"

"Yes, lets," as Archie decided to deal with the trunk of memorabilia later and followed Angus and Gordon back into the library and then Angus with another bright beam handed the keys over to Paul, "You'll both do this village proud and I'm sure your great, great-granddad, will agree."

Archie and Paul weren't totally sure what Angus talked on about, but Gordon's comment changed the subject and brought them back to the deal, "Now about Dad's campervan."

Paul had everything about the campervan in order as he passed over the keys and then title, as he replied, "Just get insurance and you're good to go."

Angus beamed again, "I actually going on my first trip next week..."

"Oh?" Paul questioned as Angus exclaimed as if he were guilt free of a long time family 'curse' and Gordon rolled his eyes, "To Cornwall!"

"Da's got a thing about seeing Land's end since it's where he met my mother," Gordon spoke up again evenly as Paul smiled and responded, "Well then you'll be traveling in style."

Lizzie rushed herself back into Molly's car, zoomed to the old stone school house, dropped off Martha her Barbie lunch pail and then within ten minutes, scooted off to the shop to meet Compton outside the front landing.

"Sorry, I'm a late," said Lizzie as she rushed over to him as hers and Compton's lips pecked briskly. Compton smiled and replied with a laugh, "Why do you think I told you noon and not 12:30?"

"Umm, why?" Lizzie's eyes lifted to study Compton and his eyes went directly to his wrist watch, pushing back his shirt sleeve, and checking the time.

"You must be prompt, speaking of which, Graeme isn't here yet, and the luncheon doesn't start for another ten minutes. Where is he?"

"Oh, why's Graeme meeting us?"

Compton answered a now curious Lizzie, "Elizabeth, I know I can count on you to help Graeme out." Lizzie grew uneasy, as she could tell Compton was going to say..."I have some 'corporate' business to attend too and since Graeme is my right hand man, he'll escort you to the lunch and conduct my speech."

"Aren't you supposed to be there?" Lizzie shook her head, getting slightly upset, and Compton just chuckled, "I'm running for the head of new 'glens' counsel, Lizzie, not for prime-minister."

"Lizzie, it's not important I be there today but for the dinner tonight, you're still up for it, are you not?"

"Of course, but I assumed I'd be having lunch with my boyfriend and cheering him on..." Lizzie then felt let down by him and added playfully, "I went through a lot of trouble to look good for you, you know."

Compton's face softened as he gave her arms a rub with his hands and sympathetically said, "You can still cheer me on, lovey, just be there for when Graeme delivers my speech on my behalf, ah don't pout, Elizabeth. I'll make it up to you. I promise, when have I ever lied to you?"

"Never," Lizzie noted, since she had been dating Compton since January. First 'just' seeing each other and then slowly progressing into a 'worth while' relationship.

"Good sorted out, see you tonight with bells on? Oh and Elizabeth, wear that brill frilly blue number that you wore on our first official date..." Compton remarked as he seemed to like suggesting to Lizzie what she was to wear at important village functions _when she was with him,_ "I guess so, but no telling me what to wear after dinner, mind you," and then winked with a giggle. Compton's brows rose again, curiously "Hmmm, deal."

Just then Graeme came whistling right up to them and said, "We're off to fight lions, Comp. Why hello Lizzie, you look lovely today,"

"Hi Graeme and thank-you," answered Lizzie, as she wasn't totally happy with not having lunch with Compton. However, he was right she should be there to at least support Graeme when he gave Compton's speech.

"Well, then, go show those tigers whose boss for me...I'm off to deal with business at _my_ water bottling plant...reminds me I need to talk to Archie, 'Laird to Laird' about his investments in the company." Compton strolled away, leaving Lizzie standing there with Graeme.

"You all right?"

"I'm fine..." Lizzie and Graeme walked up the street, and minutes later Lizzie added, "How important is this lunch?"

"Why, it's important since many of the candidates that Compton's running against will be there I suppose." Graeme explained, as Lizzie sighed again. Graeme sensing something was wrong picked up on it, "I've been dating Compton for almost four months now, suddenly he's asking me out to lunch and dinner and changing his mind about going with me at the last minute."

"He's got a lot on his plate, Lizzie. You know how that is, Archie's busy too."

"Not as busy as Compton seems to make himself be."

"Listen, let's just get through the luncheon and we can chat more about this later, if you like," Graeme winked as they made it to Duncan's Aunt Liz's B&B where the luncheon was to be held.

Since the towns, Glenbogle, Glenmorin and Glencampbell were tiny dots on the Scotland map it became increasingly pointless, money, country recognition, and support wise, to have their own town counsels. Especially since the villages normally jumped through all kinds of political red tape and many hoops from parliament every year for every aspect of village funding—schools, land values and taxes, road fees and etcbecause the villages were so small the government felt they didn't need lots of money, whereas the towns thought differently. And so out of all of this frustration, the towns decided to also come together...

The existing three town counsels, each of five bright members had nominated a current counsel member (from their group) to run for head of the new 'glens' counsel: Compton MacFarlane from Glencampbell, Jacknordy, Archie's old school chum, from Glenbogle, and Angus Clark from Glenmorin.

Lizzie and Graeme traveled into the B&B's 'function' room. Last year, Aunt Liz had made a point to 'add onto' the B&B when she heard word of Duncan and Lili having a baby—she felt she needed more room and also more income. After getting the approval from village counsel and Archie, she had the addition put on.

"Lizzie, Graeme," Judd Neilson, one of the current village counsel members smiled, as he welcomed them, "Enter inside down to the right of the stage and there's a few tables just before it all marked with numbers. You're at table 3."

Lizzie and Graeme walked down a hall just off the B&B's kitchen to a big dinning room. They glanced around at the six tables and finally finding the one with '3' printed in bold black lettering near, as Judd had said, the small 'stage'. It was actually more of a podium surrounded by flowers, yellow, white and pink flowers which Aunt Liz had set up special.

Graeme pulled out Lizzie's seat as she sat down, "Thank-you,"

"No worry, gentlemen are supposed to do that," Graeme parked himself beside her with a heart-felt grin.

In the meantime, just after the lunch, the 'press' arrived, which was to Lizzie's surprise, Susan and her reporter friend Janey. Lizzie waved at Susan and Susan with her briefcase-like bag and notepad, waved back. Janey snapped a photo of the room its set up and its people, as there were about thirty others who wandered about the room, chatting, eating, drinking, and enjoying the lunch.

"Susan?"

"Lizzie, I thought I might see you here. I'm working on this story...well, covering it anyway, Hi Graeme."

"Hi." Graeme nodded his head and smiled at Susan too. Just as Killwillie stood up before the group and announced, "Our speeches will begin shortly, please finish up lunch, and continue to enjoy your selves."

"That's my cue, see ya..." Susan gave Lizzie's shoulder a pat and then decided to walk off to the left of the center stage to interview Killwillie and all of the candidates, including Graeme for the paper.

**Chapter SixTale of Ghillie's Rest **

On Saturday, at the end of the week...

Archie and Paul were up to their necks in dust, paint buckets, and tool boxes. They had decided Ghillie's needed a serious face lift so they closed its doors for that week. Gordon McKellen decided to help Archie and Paul out as planned and Duncan was in the middle of trying to fix a moveable flip-up countertop at the bar.

"Okay, now the walls near the snooker table need serious work..." Archie directed as Gordon and Paul nodded in agreement. "Oh and one thing, I brought that trunk your father gave us here..."

"Trunk, right, did you search through it?" Gordon asked as he stepped up a ladder with a rag and bucket of soapy water. Paul and Archie exchanged glances, "Um, no. Were we supposed to?" Paul inquired carefully as Gordon replied, "Well, I've never seen inside of it, to tell you the truth, just heard a few stories here and there. Father always said opening it was just meant for the rightful owners of the place and he wouldn't do it."

"Okay, what does it have to do with us?" Archie asked confused as Gordon shrugged and scrubbed peering back at Archie from behind him.

"You're the rightful owners now like, or so he says, you tell me."

"Duncan, give me a hand, will you? I'm going to go get the trunk," Archie announced, just as Duncan flipped the countertop at the bar up and it quickly crashed down and into 'place', making the glasses on the bar shake terribly, "Whoops, right, boss." Archie rolled his eyes as Duncan smiled again.

Duncan and Archie lugged the trunk into Ghillie's and set it down in front of a table with a huge notorious 'thud'. Archie wasn't sure of where to begin, "Um, hmmm...so it's locked,"

"So turn the key,"

"Aye right, that might help," Archie said, as the men stood around the trunk like it was a treasure chest, assuming it would open on it's own to show glowing, glittery, and shimmering pirate's goldbut instead, Duncan pointed out the obvious as a key stuck out from the key hole and the front latches hooked off, "See, the key works."

Archie rubbed his hands together as if he were to 'crack' open a safe and hand gestured to Paul, "Be my guest, you won it, you open it."

Paul shrugged and accepted, "Fine, lemme show you how it's done," Paul pulled up the trunk top and there was an envelope in side of it.

"That's it?" Duncan said with a whistle and a laugh, "The thing is still heavy with just a letter!"

"Quiet, what's it say Paul?" Archie rolled his eyes at Duncan, but eager as Gordon to find out what was inside or said in the letter.

"Lemme open it first," Paul untied the envelope, out came an old deed, and a photograph, Duncan studied the trunk while Paul, Archie and Gordon gathered round. Duncan always wanted to know what it was like to be a 'Jack in the Box'...so he childlike stepped into the huge trunk and started to play with the top, pulling it downward, as he scrunched his body up inside of the ancient box, jumped up, releasing the top at the same time and said aloud, "Ta Dah! Look boss! Minnie and the twins would so love thisI can fit in it and surprise them all!"

"Not now," Archie waved Duncan away, not even looking or paying any close attention at what Duncan was doing in the trunk.

"Hey Archie..." Duncan began to hum a music box tune while he tried to hop out of the box to 'surprise Archie' like 'Jack' would on a spring.

"Please...not now Duncan...what's it say?" Archie looked ruefully at Paul and then by chance to Gordon and the aged piece of parchment in Paul's hands...

Duncan then jolted up again and 'CRACK!' as his feet fell through and were then 'stuck between the false and the real bottom of the trunk.' Duncan was then left in a sticky bun situation, "Ah, boss..."

"Not now, Dunc?" answered Archie irritated just a hair with his head ranger. As Archie's eyes and head turned to meet Duncan's startled facial expression. And at the same time they both thought of the words, "Ka-BOOM." Of course, Archie hadn't seen such a face on Duncan since the day Duncan's grandfather's WWII bomb was to blow in the basement of the house. Duncan tried to wiggle his feet free just as his feet twitched the trunk made an awful rattling sound.

"Don't move, Duncan, we have no idea what's in that secret compartment..." Archie suggested as he decided if it was another bomb, he didn't know what he'd do.

"How do you propose I get out?" Duncan questioned trying not to panic and failing miserably at it.

Archie and Paul looked at each other, and on instinct, decided to scurry over to Duncan, who shook his head, thinking they were going to try to lift him and he cautiously sounded out, "Um no, you can't..."

"Then Duncan, just unlace your boots and we'll jiggle you out—or you climb!" Archie commented as a small wave of relief swept over Duncan's face, "Oh right, my boots, unlace 'em. I can do that."

Duncan did as he was told, unlaced each boot and then with Paul's arm help managed to weave his feet out of each, skip out, and over the trunk side. The four men cocked their heads to the side whilst gazing into the messed up trunk. Gordon bloom some laughed, and Archie made a 'since when is a broken trunk funny?' face, "What's with you? What are you like?"

Gordon laughed again, and then answered, "A fable as a Bairn, well one my father told me,"

"Okay, what's the story, morning glory?" Paul asked wit-fully with a joke. Archie stood there and blinked at Paul, Gordon and then the state of the trunk. Gordon promptly retrieved Duncan's boots one by one, handing them back to him and then started tug at the false trunk bottom. Gordon explained, "Well, not much, just about my great-great grandfather Edgar and how he acquired this place..."

"How'd he do that?" Duncan quipped innocently while slipping his boots back on.

"By using one of these..." Gordon showed a dueling pistol which he retrieved from the trunk.

Archie then replied surprised, while rubbing the back of his dark-haired head with his hand, "A pistol? For what?"

"For dueling, Edgar McKellen and the 10th generation MacDonald chieftain, Naismith MacDonald had a duel."

"My, our," Archie tilted his head to Paul and finished swiftly, "Great-great grandfather?"

Gordon nodded his head knowledgably, "For the land that this very building stands on."

"Anyway, according to the tale, Naismith MacDonald, decided since he couldn't sell his land without forfeiting his estate some two hundred years ago that he and my fore father Edgar would go into business together..." Gordon went on, "Apparently, McKellen wanted to start up a pub of sorts and the only way he could do it, was if he had the land to build onof course, this land was MacDonald land—Naismith and Edgar were the best of mates..."

"So?" Archie sat down on a bar stool waiting to hear more of the story.

"That's it, basically, they were partners until one night, when they were both extremely phished..."

"What happened?" Paul immediately questioned as he sat down on a chair, listening in...

"Oh gee, well, MacDonald and McKellen weren't too happy about something, not quite sure what, but me thinks it had to do with having different views of how to run the place...anyway—turned into a doomed debate, then a fist-fight, until..."

"On that very night they got smashed and decided to duel for 'soul' ownership?" Duncan asked smart-fully as Gordon nodded his head shamefully, "Right, Dunc, only McKellen won with a pistol like this, assumingly, and then mourned the loss of his mate."

"Wait, so your father was okay with handing over Ghillie's to Paul and I, because of some ancient 'all ends well' duel?" Archie stared at Gordon for acknowledgement.

"Well, not that simple, my father, my grandfather and great-grandfather thought my family was hexed for 'duel to death with the laird of Glenbogle at the time.' Da didn't exactly like how the family got this place, you know, kinda shameful." Gordon hung his head and then handed the pistol to Paul who handed it to Archie.

"Anyway, my father feels by giving the place over to you, it helps 'redeem' the family. Edgar wasn't maimed for the 'ill-tragedy' or anything of the sort. Naismith's death was ruled as a careless event, but still considered as an accident. And Edgar's grieving was said to be punishment enough by the village counsel way back then."

"Wait, so I wasn't meant to win a bet nights ago?" Paul said baffled and Gordon laughed, "Well, I'm not screwing with another man's pride, mind you did win the place fair and square. I'm just telling you my father was quite relieved to be handing Ghillie's and its land to the rightful owners." Gordon turned around and decided to start scrubbing the walls again as he realized Archie and Paul, plus Duncan weren't working, "What?"

"Oh nothing..." Archie set the pistol back into the trunk and Paul joined Gordon and the cleaning up.

"You really believe this story?" Archie asked doubtfully, as Gordon sighed and grinned reassuringly, "I know that's a rare pistol at the bottom of a trunk that belonged to my great-great grandfather, which I assume was your great-great grandfather's originallycan tell by inscription on the barrel," as Archie picked up the hunk of steel again and his eyes glazed over the initials of NRM-Naismith Robert MacDonald on the gun.

"Think it's worth anything?" Duncan asked stupidly as he cast his eyes over Archie's shoulder at the new family air loom. Archie gave him a sideways glance and shook his head again, out tumbled Duncan's "Wha?"

"If it was worth anything, it would have been already sold like a polyester shirt and bell bottom trousers gone out of style," Archie shook his head at Duncan once more, kinda stressed, before placing the tinkering piece of steel back into the trunk. And Duncan just shrugged and went back to work on the bar countertop while Paul then chuckled out as if he were back in the 1970's, "Just groovy, man," before getting back to work on the walls with a good humored Gordon.

Lexie blew out a breath, as she chased the twins from the beach up to the house, and ran into Claire. Lexie was surprised to see her, forgetting it was now the weekend, "Wha brings ya this way?"

"I came to see Susan, since I finished something and need to her look it over," Claire replied soundly as Lexie laughed, "Well, I be off, Jayne, Wayne!"

"You need some help, Lexie?" Claire asked as she hiked after Lexie and both women zipped down the path after the almost two year old twins.

"I just need to keep me eye on 'em two! Megan's last day was yesterday and she's coming tonight for supper, according to Archie. I just don't know what I'm gonna do with her gone. Wayne! Jayne!"

"Bye bye Mummy!" Wayne bellowed out and waved, before wandering directly for the sandbox.

"Mummy! Mummy! Monkey!" Jayne pointed at Wayne and Claire laughed with a reply, "That's your brother silly potato, not a monkey!" Jayne didn't respond back, instead she joined her younger brother of five minutes in the wooden box filled of loch beach sand.

Claire turned her attention back to Lexie who was now short of breath and decided to stop running once she saw the twins safely climb into the sandbox.

"I see," Claire nodded her head and then laughed again. Twins were in the middle of the sand box, 'making sandy mud pies' since it had rained that night. Lexie blew out a breath again, wiped sweat from her brow and then chuckled before giving her children another good once over.

"You all right?"

"Just need to catch me breath, baby seems to like knockin' the wee wind out of me while I jog along."

"Aye, you know, I could help you with them...seeing how they are gonna need a cleaning," Claire laughed as she and Lexie witnessed Wayne plaster his sister's face with mud.

"Oh no, Wayne! Don't do that to your sister! Jayne no!" Lexie shouted out motherly, while watching Jayne dump a pail of mud over Wayne's head. Wayne didn't cry, instead, he evilly tossed mud back at Jayne. The two twins started playing with trucks and also shovels and pails. Until, "Mine! No! Mine! No! Mine! Mine!" Jayne and Wayne started to row over a toy airplane that Duncan had donated to the 'sandbox' toys.

"No fighting!" Lexie clucked like a mother hen again. Lexie knew her two year olds wouldn't listen to her and continue to scuffle and tug o' war over the toy until she gave one of them something else to play with. Claire decided to help Lexie out, by quickly handing Wayne a truck and snagging the airplane, and giving Jayne a car. Both children glanced up at Claire as she 'flew' the airplane around the sandbox and started to sing a song, Frank Sinatra's 'Leaving on a Jet Plane'...

_So kiss me and smile for me  
Tell me that you'll wait for me  
Hold me like you'll never let me go  
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane  
Don't know when I'll be back again  
Oh babe, I hate to go_

Wayne cleverly shouted out his name for the airplane, "Jay-Jay! Jay-Jay!"

Jayne shouted out too, "Jay-jay! Jay-jay!"

Lexie couldn't stop laughing, and spoke right up, "Claire, they have been busy watching that American programme on BBC...Jay-Jay the Jet Plane..."

"That's me plane, don't you know, it's not nice to mess with other people's planes?" A voice called out to Lexie and Claire, as it was the fine kilted and rustic looking Duncan, who not only noted Claire holding his toy airplane, but in the back of his mind, _he fondly thought of Lili, just coincidently out of the blue..._

"I'm sorry, I didn't see your name on it," Claire joked as Duncan strolled right up to her and pointed out on the underside of the toy his name, 'Duncan'.

"Which was once Duncan's," Lexie smiled as she gave Duncan and very strange look when Claire wasn't watching. Lexie could tell something oddly was going on with her 'poor wee mate.'

"Aye, no biggie, donated it fer da twins and Min to use. I found it cleaning out Aunt Liz's attic when she was fixin' up me 'rents old house as a B&B years and years ago."

"Aye he sent that wee thing flying in my kitchen! He'd do it back then to bug ol' Golly," Lexie fondly remembered eons ago Duncan standing on the kitchen table and countertops while stringing string up so he could 'fly' it high in the sky and laughed out loud as the plane really 'took off'.

"Oh, I thought yer 'rents reside in Glasgow?" Claire remarked while sitting herself down on the side of the sandbox while Jayne and Wayne busied themselves with sandy mud 'castles' again.

"They do. They lived in the village first and then moved when my sister settled down there." Duncan explained brightly, with a nod of his head. Lexie listened, still giving Duncan a look of _'Uh, oh...what's going on with you and her?' _

Claire handed Duncan back the airplane as he hummed out:

The sun is rising high up over Tarrytown

Friends taking off and friends touching down  
That's where you'll find  
That one of a kind  
JAY JAY, JAY JAY  
JAY JAY THE JET PLANE  
"THAT'S ME!"  
There's never been another little guy like this  
So much in love with the sky like this  
So buckle up tight  
It's a magical flight with  
JAY JAY, JAY JAY  
JAY JAY THE JET PLANE  
"THAT'S ME!"

Twins giggled out as they watched Duncan use the sides of the sandbox like a balance beam, while floating the plane in the air, "Me! Me!"

Duncan chuckled too, while handing the airplane back to Claire with a wink, "I have to go...Minnie should be up shortly."

"Aye, she's sleeping in a playpen near Molly...I guess Molly wanted to paint in the sitting room and decided Minnie made nice company, regardless if she was snoozing," Lexie instructed as Duncan smiled one last time at Claire...his heart flip flopped again, but his mind wandered back to the song Claire had started to sing to twins...

"You seem to have lots to say," Lexie chuckled out once Duncan was out of an ear shot.

"Aye, s'pose," Claire nodded as she looked away from Duncan's parting direction, "I should go find Susan."

"She should be back soon, went to another 'prelim' speech or debate for the new glens counsel election-aye. I don't know where she finds the time to run her family and write those articles."

"I always used to think the same thing," Claire beamed as she added and waved to the twins before strolling off, "Lemme know if you need any 'help' cleaning my wee mates here."

"Thanks for the offer. I might take you up on it." Lexie winked again, but her mind shifted to Duncan and how he acted around Claire, and a question formed in Lexie's poor mind, _didn't Golly ever talk to Dunc about Claire? Then again Golly hardly ever talked to anyone about anything personal in his life._


	4. Parts 7 and 8

**Chapter Seven...Same Day, Same Weekend**

Lexie really enjoyed the help, as every time the twins needed something, she'd be just about ready to do it and Claire would 'zip' to her tag team rescue. It was later that afternoon, when Lexie brought Archie a plate of dinner to the library. Lexie decided to clue Archie in on how much of a help Claire had been and to also try talk to him about the nanny position. To her dismay, Archie was no where to be found in the library or anywhere else in the house...until Ewan told her where to look...the wildlife centre office.

"Dinner served, since you wouldn't come and get it," Lexie sighed as she placed the plate and tray down on the desk near Archie. Archie's fingers continued to scramble across the lap-top keyboard at a nearby table, "One must assume pencil pushing makes ya famished!"

"Thanks just set it there Ewan." Archie didn't even look up from the lap-top or acknowledge that Lexie had delivered the meal and not Ewan. Lexie wasn't impressed, actually astonished at how 'passive' he was about dinner. "It's me Bambi special, Arch, I made it since you gave Ewan the night off and you're sitting there turning yer nose up at my home cooked meal?"

"Oh, Lex, sorry," Archie guiltily turned to face her and Lexie now very tired and grumpy, swiftly shut the laptop on him...as he chirped out, "Hey...I'm not done with that."

"Arch, I'm not a second fiddle, to the first, lately you've been acting like it—you're now hiding out on me? An' here none the less? What's wrong with the house or the estate? I told you days ago, I?"

"Lex, I'm really sorry. I needed a quiet work space and I told Ewan only to disturb me at meals...besides, I've been working on something elsewith Compton."

"Laird of Glencampbell? Lizzie's wee man?"

"Yes, well, years ago, before you and I got together, you remember my idea for Glenbogle spring water...well Compton had the money to start up his own bottling plant, we were talking on about it at some village event, and so on, anyway, he created the plant, built it all from scratch and allowed me to help 'partner' it..."

"Tell me something I don't know..." as Lexie on cue rolled her sky colored eyes.

"Listen Lex, the plant's turning huge profits now and Compton signed me over for more shares of the place..."

"Oh really, and what money you got to give him?"

"Not about money, about land. I raffled him off a couple more acres near the village school."

"Why would Compton want something to do with the school?"

"He said he could help me 'expand' it so that way, I'd never have to worry about shuttling the high school kids off to Glenmorin."

"Okay...so..."

"Compton is running for new 'glens' counsel..."

"Aye, I know, Lexie, he's told me he actually wants to marry Lizzie soon." Archie said all excited and enthusiastic. Lexie was the direct opposite, down and out, and also very perplexed about the concept.

"Ya normally yer very blank like a chalkboard when it comes to someone's relations...remember what happened the last time you were asked to invest money into a company?"

"Lexie, that was David Fraser playing a game and he wasn't trustworthy at all. This is different and a HUGE ordeal, nothing to not be chuffed about. Two actual families coming together, big old wealthy families..."

"His maybe and ye are not Ritchie Rich, yanno! We're penniless remember?"

"Yes, but we're asset 'rich', like King Alfonso XIII!" said Archie proudly, who didn't give up hope and ignored Lexie's pessimism and reply, "The King of Spain, whose people kept trying to off him because he wanted to dominate the government!"

"No, no, bad example..." Archie rolled his eyes and lowered his voice, taking in the view of Lexie's irritated stare, "Lexie, if Compton won, I wouldn't have to jump hoops to get grants for anything that I see needs to be fixed, moved, created or done!"

"Archie, you're playing with fire and I want the matchbox! Dream on, besides, just because Compton's winning the newspaper polls as the best man for the job, doesn't mean he's suitable for it."

"Lexie, for once, toss caution into the wind, and what do you get?"

"A very, very, very bad feeling I'm about to be blown away! Considering I'm no Winnie the Pooh on a blustery day, mind you! You're no Piglet out to rescue me from dangling off a red balloon!"

"Right! No, no, no..." Archie shook his head again, in disagreement with his wife, assuming she'd take his side and she still didn't, "Look, father always wanted Lizzie with someone suitable and to be married, not single. He always wanted her to end up with the right..."

"Eh! Hello! Archie that was slithering blithering dithering years ago—what Hector had said about her hitching her wagon to someone else's train for the sake of the 'babe'! Lizzie's a grown woman, how do you know she wants to marry Compton? Besides, remember when Hector played matchmaker for you?"

"Look, that was zillions of magazine articles ago, and it didn't work or I wouldn't be wed to you, Lexie, please, this is Lizzie and she's actually quite smitten with him."

"Or you are," Lexie said smugly and witty while Archie's face went soft.

"Lexie,"

"I can't believe you! We don't have the money, the land or the assets to give."

"Look, so he's got a great deal of more money than we do, but I've known him since I was child and his father and my father always played golf on Sundays."

"Great so get yourself a caddy, Archie, an' putt off a game for the shares rather than trade off land—we can't sellremember! Or we forfeit the estate!"

"Lexie, too late, already been done. I didn't sell...we sort of agreed on the trade—land for shares."

"What about Paul's say? Aside from you disregarding my own?" Lexie's eyes narrowed in on Archie...she wasn't happy with him.

"Paul agreed already, he was the one who suggested it, actually."

"I..."

"Lexie, just trust me, just this once, Paul and I are doing the right thing."

"We'll just see about that!" Lexie muttered and looked away from Archie, just as he tried to embrace her.

"What did you make me for dinner again?" Archie smiled while peeking over to the covered plate of food on a tray as Lexie who pondered taking the dinner away, changed her mind, she was too exhausted to continue to battle about anything estate wise. However she still had her instinct not to trust Compton.

"Bambi," Lexie huffed as Archie set his eyes warmly, smoothly and loving on hers, and then his hands on her shoulders, and concluded warmly, "It'll be all right, Lex, in fact we're going to hire you that nanny you asked for. That's another reason I went along with buying more shares in Compton's water bottle company by use of 'trading' in some land."

"Ah, well..._ya mean it?"_ Lexie sideways glanced at Archie for some form of reassurance.

"I already got the 15,000 pounds to offer the lucky nanny to be. We'll have to have interviews soon and I will put that ad in the paper."

"Arch."

"Yes?"

"I don't put an ad in the paper."

"Why?"

"I found us a nanny. I'll ask her sometime this week, but I need to talk to Susan first."

"Oh?"

"Aye..."

"Why Susan?"

"Dun worry, just leave me to hire estate staff again, unless you're revoking that from my duties too?"

"I promise, I'm not, do what your heart desires."

"Even if my heart desires to give you a chompin'?"

"What kind of a chompin', do you have in mind?" Archie winked, as his arms wrapped right around Lexie, he snuggled right into her and as his lips were about to meet hers with his eyes closed. Lexie instantly picked up a piece of Bambi with her hands and filled his slightly puckering mouth full of the meat, "Hmmmm good,"

Archie chuckled, coughed a bit, and Lexie wiped his face with a napkin. She laughed too just before Archie pulled his wife in for a kiss...

Claire was in the dinning room sitting on a yellow velvet high backed chair at the table. She finished placing the letter to the organ donor family into the envelope. Susan rolled in with silver placemats and utensils helping Lexie set up the house for dinner, she smiled at Claire, "Finished?"

"Aye, now it needs to make way into the mail..."

"Good, so you can send it off then?" Susan beamed as Claire gave her a disheartened glance.

"I guess."

"You're not having second thoughts about sending it, are you?" Susan questioned her sister and her guilty as charged look.

"Suz, I don't want to upset anyone by telling them how happy I am alive, and rubbing it all in."

"You're not rubbing anything in Claire. You're a decent soul for writing that letter."

"You wrote it..."

"I helped you write it. You wrote the bulk of it yourself."

"Mebbe I shouldn't mail it?" Claire's voice took on an angst tone as she cast her eyes away from her sister.

"Look, mail it and if you don't I will." Susan replied with a big smile. Claire wasn't convinced, as Paul walked into the room.

"Everything okay?"

"Great. Just giving Claire a wee pep talk about mailing that letter off."

"Oh right, to the family?" Paul quipped with a smile, "Good for you, Claire."

"Thanks, but I'm not sure I'm sending it, I'm gonna go help Lexie with the twins." Claire announced as she tossed the letter into the fireplace, which wasn't lit.

"Claire..." Susan sighed, snagged up the letter and stared at Paul.

"She should send it." Paul agreed and Susan held the letter in her hands.

"I'm going into the village. I can mail it for her at post box," Paul offered wisely and Susan's hand reached out and placed the envelope in his.

"You don't have too. I could do it on Monday."

"With your work schedule? Nah, I'll do it for you and Claire." Paul smiled at Susan, leaned in to kiss her and then waltzed away after stuffing the letter into his pants pocket. Susan then sat down on a high back chair before turning to look out at the loch and letting out a long sigh. She just wanted Claire to be happy and to not worry so much about 'having' someone else's heart, but instead to be thankful for it.

Just as Susan stood up to complete the table, Lizzie strolled right in, "Suzy,"

"Hi Lizzie, what's a matter?"

"The phone rang for you."

"Oh?"

"It's Edith Rankin and I told her you were here." Lizzie smiled as she trailed behind Susan who wandered towards the telephone stand just at the bottom of the main stairway and hallway of the house. Susan lots of thoughts running through her mind as she traveled towards the phone, Lizzie handed it to her while Susan cupped her hand over the talking end of the receiver, "What did she want?"

"I don't know, ask her, go on..."

"Hello?" Susan asked as she held the receiver to her ear, "Ah-huh, yes, hi Edith, busier than normal. Meeting tomorrow? On Sunday? Oh no, I don't do much—I see, well, the paper keeps me...oh, I see, okay, great at 2pm."

Susan hung up the phone, before Lizzie stared at her, "Well?"

"E-yea, hum."

"I don't speak Susan very well, please clarify." Lizzie rolled her eyes and started to pester her.

"Waiting for an important callor prankin' someone without me?" Lexie called out as she entered the front of the house and noticed Lizzie and Susan hovering over the phone stand.

"Actually, neither, Edith Rankin wants to see me in her office." Susan replied as Lexie laughed, thinking Susan wasn't serious and then her face hardened, "You're in trouble?"

"You're kidding? When?" Lizzie inquired as she continued to prod Susan for information.

"Tomorrow at 2pm. I told her it's Sunday and she simply asked if reporters still work around the clock and I said I could. Anyway, I'm off to finish with the dinner table." Susan wandered off, leaving Lexie and Lizzie to watch her go and exchange 'interested in Susan's meeting' glances.

**Chapter EightNewspapers**

Susan walked down the busy main street and wandered into the brick building or the home to Edith Rankin's office. Once inside the building she sat herself down in a chair just outside of Edith's office door. Edith was in there, just chatting away on the telephone. Susan had a hard time making up her mind if she should be nervous or not with seeing Edith, even after hearing all of the 'terrible' stories about the 'overbearing' and 'bossy' Edith, and how Archie's time and time again had trouble getting grants from the town for estate doings from Lexie and the conflicting 'friendly' stories from Molly at how Edith had become her 'friend' at dinner the other night.

Susan tried not to dwell on the good and bad stories as she crossed her legs right over left and left over right, adjusted her suit, and fiddled with her blouse collar until, "Susan Thatcher-Higgins, come right in..."

It was Edith as she held out her hand to shake Susan's, which she did. Susan entered the white walled office, there were file cabinets in one corner of the room, Edith's desk right in the middle, a huge window behind the desk and also bookshelves of books. Edith gestured to Susan to sit down before returning herself to her big comfy high back leather desk chair.

"Good of you to come on such short notice, then again reporters are supposed to do this, right?"

"Yes, what's the business?" Susan asked immediately.

"I like someone who gets down to the point of being here and doesn't dance around the subject," Edith chuckled stiffly, as she scanned Susan's face carefully, "I have read your award-winning article..." Edith pulled out the article that Susan had written year ago on 'highland economy'. Susan's eyes widened, as she feared that Edith would be 'giving her' her take on the article as she recalled Archie's and Paul's opinions about it in the back of her mind.

"It's well-thought out-don't totally agree with you, but..." Edith said quickly and Susan's face relaxed slightly.

"Thank-you, I think."

"I called you here because I'm retiring from politics. Once the new 'glens' counsel election is said and done, I'm done with running anything, except my home." Edith smiled again, her smile kept making Susan think about Molly's stories...

"I'm a dear old friend of Molly, as you probably know, I called it to her attention that I'd like for you to do something for this village."

"Molly mentioned to me you knew her and you were both on friendly terms. I was there during the counsel meeting when?"

"Yes, your father tried to buy the forest, what a mess that was, and thank goodness Molly and I got to the bottom of it." Edith shook her head continuing to show Susan her 'human' side, before adding, "I knew Paul's mother."

Susan sat there and blinked, before asking, "You did?"

"Yes, actually I did. I had gone over to the big house that day long ago, the day Molly had 'left' Hector, assuming to talk to him about his wife 'leaving' him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him with Megan Bowman. Odd at first, since we all grew up together. I hadn't spoken to Hector, and at that time I refused too because well, I fancied him so much and I despised him marrying off without giving me a fair chance...anyway..."

"Well, what does this have to do with me?"

"I want you and your fancy dancey writing to head up Glenbogle's first newspaper."

Susan blinked once more "Come again?"

"Strathsprey Gazette needs some competition, the area needs inspiring stories, ones which you can sink your teeth into and feast your eyes upon. And since this is the last request as Head of Glenbogle Counsel that I can make, I'm asking it loud and clear and out of respect for Hector and his father's hobbyaside from yours."

Susan wasn't sure of what to make of the offer of 'starting' up her own paper as she was about to question it, the office door opened and Molly appeared with a vivacious beam.

"Molly?" Susan tipped her head, becoming confused, and then shocked.

"Hello, Susan. I see you're speechless, it would mean a lot to the women of the village to have a 'role model', you know, dear, a real career woman role model, like you?" Molly winked and sat herself beside Susan.

Susan then questioned, "I'm flattered, Molly and Edith, I mean no disrespect, but running a paper takes a lot of hard earned work, lots of journalists, and you can't just make a paper over night and expect people to buy it. Plus money...you need to have?"

"There's already a grant set aside for the paper, Susan. I made sure of it and the members voted on it last week." Edith noted wisely as Susan's brows peaked...

"Just think about it, no more traveling back and forth for The Scotsman to Edinburgh on certain days, you'd be home at a decent hour and?" Molly waited for Susan's new reaction.

"I need to think this over."

"Susan, Hector's father Angus wanted to start a village paper very, very, very badly and even wanted Hector to help him start it out when he got back from the war decades ago. Of course real life and Hector's disinterest in the idea of his father starting a paper...well, let's just say it never went off the ground." Molly sighed sadly and Susan could tell Molly was trying to 'sell' her the idea of running a village paper.

"I see. Where do we print the papers? Who would do the photo journalism? How would I be paid for my work or any other reporter?" Susan posed lots of questions and Edith gave her answers.

"You'd work for the town for one, any profits would go to the paper and benefit you and anyone you hired on, Susan, you'd be the editor."

"You can print the papers at the house on Angus's old printing press in the basement, I've already got a photographer in mind and until you can open an office of your own, perhaps you could run the paper out of the storage room above the shop? I've been hoping to fill that space, what's better than to fill it with one's family business?" Molly hinted as Susan glanced her way and asked, "Edith, editor, is a nice title and Molly, you mean well, but how on earth would I pay you rent? If I went through with this, I'd have to give notice to The Scotsman."

"No need to really, you would start the paper up, and get it going and then when profits came in, and you could give me a share in it. You can still take on stuff for the Scotsman until you're able to support yourself with just the village paper."

Molly gave Susan a hopeful, pleasing, and somewhat pleading look as Susan glanced in Edith's direction, who spoke out sensibly, "We could really use a village paper with all of this publicity because of the new glens counsel election. If it doesn't work out, you have nothing to lose and you wouldn't have called off your previous job and well..."

"I'll do it."

Molly and Edith exchanged rather giddy-looking stares and then smiled once again, "You will?"

"Aye, yes, I will. I don't know how or where to begin exactly, I'll need staff?" Susan started to piece everything together that a paper would need.

The next week, and afternoons later at lunchtime, as the new 'glens' counsel election was almost over...just two nights to go and the campaigning would stop and the voting between the three villages and their inhabitants would start, as Susan had been pretty busy covering all of those election stories with Janey. This wasn't an 'ordinary' lunch for the MacDonald household but the middle of the first print 'staff meeting' for the Glenbogle Gazette. Susan now had the film projector out, figures displayed up on a portable projector screen, and also a dry erase board behind her with names on it in side by side columns: Duncan, Claire, Susan, Lorraine, Maureen, Janey, and Molly.

Lexie, Paul and Archie were in at the doorway listening in on Susan's meeting before returning to the kitchen. Paul had made a deal with her that he'd let her run her meeting with out him standing by. Lexie and Archie agreed with Paul that Susan had to run her job as editor on her own two feet without getting any of the estate 'management' involved with the town business.

"Okay, Janey and I do up the next scoops of the 'after' electiongot a couple quick cover story ideas about our new head counsel man. I know Lorraine wants to publish another story about the community's soon nightlife and Maureen about the school...I'm gonna need some printers..." Susan replied as she glanced at Claire, while writing down in blue marker everyone's job so the newspaper could be printed up on the dry erase board, "Do you think you can handle it?"

"Can I?" Claire laughed, "Of course, how hard can it be to run a printing press? I will need a partner for it though..."

Claire eyed Duncan and he stared back at her with a thoughtful smile. Susan cast her eyes in Claire's and then Duncan's direction. Susan quipped, "This is really important, you two, no funny business either, we have suppliers already who want to purchase copies for their shops within the three villages. The shipment is supposed to go out tomorrow, which reminds me, I need someone to deliver papers too!"

Duncan continued grinning at Claire in some dream like stare before Claire nominated him for that job as well, "Duncan can do it as long as Archie and Lexie don't have a lot for him to do."

Susan smiled, "I've already asked for Archie's permission, aside from Paul's. Good so that's settled, so off to the presses you two."

As people started to file out of the room, Xavier and Molly approached Susan, "Susan, you've met Xavier before?" Molly introduced Xavier and Susan once again.

"Why yes, Katrina and Fergal's wedding and via passing in town, what can I do for you?" Susan gestured friendly while shutting down the projector.

"I'm afraid it's more what I can do for you."

Susan stared at Xavier quizzically, as he continued, "Molly suggested you needed a photographer for a few of the articles."

"Yes, that's right, Janey's not big on photo taking and only did it for the first edition...she really wants to stick to what she's good at, writing." Susan answered while she looked at Molly with whirl-wind wonderment, had Molly brought Susan a professional photo taker?

"That's what I thought, Susan, well, decided Xavier could help you, if it's all right, I mean I know you're the editor-in-chief and all..." Molly began while 'feeling' out Susan's reaction.

"Molly, that's a marvelous idea and I'd like to have Xavier on the team," Susan beamed brightly and Xavier nodded his head with a huge and tremendously wide smile.

"Oh good, so it's settled?" Molly gleamed as Susan nodded her head in agreement, "Yes it is."

Duncan and Claire voyaged into a section of the basement, which wasn't destroyed by his grandfather's bomb over a year ago with a case of print cartridges and the first edition newspaper templates in a bag. They switched on a light, swept away cobwebs attached to the old machine, which was covered also by a few dark sheets and then exchanged excited looks.

"This is it? It's enormous! Must weigh an absolute ton!" Claire boosted aloud as Duncan nodded his head and pulled off the one of the sheet from the printing press machine. Duncan hadn't been in this section of the house since Archie showed him where the fuse box was.

"Aye, mighty ol' beast that it is. Archie says that his grandfather would print out papers about the war and sometimes 'fake' money to tease Hector and Killwillie with."

"Well, mebbe, we should get the show on the road?" Claire yanked the other sheet off the other machine and Duncan searched high and low for the 'plug' to the enormous printing press. Duncan 'plugged' it in as he stood back before Claire noted the large 'on and off' switch. The printing press, no matter how ancient it was, came to life. It first made a low hum, and then went silent...as it if it weren't even on. The press was black steel, with gray legs, and had a place to insert the templates, ink, and the paper reel, aside from another weave where the paper would be printed on, cut, and then spit right out into a tray.

Claire peered over to Duncan as he peered back at her once again, "Is it even on?"

"I dun no I could get my face up close to it to hear?" Duncan lowered his ear to hear the machine, before raising his head up and accidentally thumping it onto the empty paper bin. Duncan rubbed his aching brow and then forced a smile to Claire like nothing was wrong, "Aye, it's still on."

"Good, let's figure out this thing, the plates must go there, right?" Claire handed Duncan the print plates one by one and they loaded them on. Next they managed to study the roll of gleaming white paper which Duncan had carried in over his shoulder when they entered the room.

"Aye, steady, yourself, it gets hooked there..." Duncan placed the paper on the reel, fed it through two 'rolling' pins, and the next was to add the ink. Claire wandered over to a work bench which was home to a few bottles of stark raven ink. As she handed Duncan the bottle, he opened the pour valve to the press, they added in one bottle...then two and then the last...

"What if this doesn't work?" Claire asked immediately after they added the ink in..._all three bottles worth...  
_  
"It should work. We just need to figure out which of these switches runs the rest of the machine..." Duncan shrugged as he glanced at Claire, as mechanically minded as Duncan could be about cars. He didn't think the printing press was that much different than the land rover's engine...but it so was...

"What's that bit do?" Claire hit a button, after Duncan searched the printing press for a belt on crank switch and also a crank switch to turn on the cutter aside from alerting the ink to come onto the templates.

"I dun't know..." Duncan and Claire stood back from the press, and then it went, making loud magnificent and in tune sounds, 'clink', 'clank', 'chinny-bang', 'clip', 'swoosh' and 'spit-DING!' as out came a newspaper page by page into the done bin. Duncan blew out a breath as Claire cast him a look, "Relieved Duncan? It's only the first paper and there's a million more to go!"

The machine continued to go, 'clink', 'clank', 'chinny-bang', 'clip', 'swoosh' and 'spit-DING!' and then again, 'clink', 'clank', 'chinny-bang', 'clip', 'swoosh' and 'spit-DING!', over and over again as if it were in complete utter tune with itself. The machine hadn't been run in decades and it still worked well...well, Claire and Duncan thought so! For hours on end as Claire and Duncan saddled up and bound newspapers the machine kept doing the dirty work as planned.

As the machine danced to its music, hour after hour, Claire and Duncan then heard from the printer: 'glug, glugg...gluggity-glug!' as they looked at each other for advice, "What happened to it?"

"Dun no, lemme check it." Duncan put his thinking cap on and decided it must be a 'mechanical' error. The printing press stopped working as Duncan spoke out over the machine as it stood between him and Claire... "It's jammed, like a paper feed of some sort, lemme try this!" Duncan hit an 'ejection of paper reel' button at first Claire thought Duncan knew what he was doing and would be all right, however she heard a very high-pitched, "slick-kity, spew!' and Duncan hollering out, "Och YUCK!"

Claire answered quickly to Duncan's distress call as she cantered around the machine, "You all right, Dunc?"

"Aye, I need a towel..." Duncan grumbled as his face was pitch black from the over abundance of printing press ink and Claire started to laugh at his condition, "It's not funny, the gook burns me face, you know! You laugh now!"

"Calm down Duncan, I'll clean you up." Claire had fetched some water earlier for them to drink. Claire latched her hand to his, and stood beside him as she led him to sit down on a stool. Claire managed to wipe what she could with a cloth, after she moistened it with water from her drinking glass, on Duncan's poor face.

"Now what do we do?" Claire asked as she continued to wipe down Duncan.

"Me gots to fix it. I mean or there will be no papers for delivery in the morn an' Susan will be disappointed...you know, Claire..." Duncan spoke on and on as he rambled because he was nervous. This was the closest he had been to her since she had started to visit Susan on weekend's months upon months ago. Also the first time for them to be actually alone, with no Minnie present, or anyone else in the house...

"Yes, Duncan?" Claire's hand finished cleaning him up, just as her eyes linked with his.

"You're really pretty," Duncan spoke up again, with still a hint of nervousness in his voice as Claire joked as her eyes darted away from his as she placed the damp cloth onto the work bench, "I think the ink rotted your brain, aye?"

"I'm not kidding 'ere." Duncan replied, and as Duncan's mind yelled out, 'dafty!' at how he was expressing his 'interest' in Claire finally, "You really are..."

"I see, yes indeedy, you're quite a clever looker yerself," Claire punned as their eyes met once more...Claire froze for a moment, so did Duncan, as their heads were inching closer and closer, their lips just about to brush when...

"I heard awful noises down here- just wanted to check on the progress with the printing for our favorite editor! Ooooh! These came out grand!"

Duncan and Claire's heads had moved completely apart from each other within seconds of hearing Molly, noting her getting distracted with the papers, as she snatched one up from the soon to be bundled up pile near the doorway. However, Duncan was so taken by surprise of Molly's 'checking in' that he then lost balance, fell off of the stool, and kept slipping on his kilt while trying to stand back up on his two feet.


	5. Epi

**EpilogueGathering at Ghillie's Rest**

A couple nights later, hours after the election of the head of the new 'glens' counsel, the family gathered around Ghillie's Rest. Archie and Paul kept the pub closed to the public as they finished cleaning up the place but invited the family and supporters of Compton for a 'celebration' shin-dig.

"Well, now that you're head of the counsel, what are you planning to do?" Susan asked promptly but Compton laughed a loud, "Susan, you might be one of my favorite reporters, but don't you take a night off?"

"She takes lots of nights off!" Paul butt right in with a chuckle and Susan laughed, "I just wanted to know..."

Paul then added to Compton while handing him a pint, "Eat drink be merry and I'll entertain the reporter..." Paul latched his hand onto Susan's arm and swung her into a dance as they joined Molly and Golly who were dancing away nearby.

"You want to entertain me?" Susan's eyes leveled to Paul's.

"Compton just won the spot tonight, can't you interview him another day? Enjoy yourself Susan, the paper's underway, the pub looks brilliant now that we're set to open tomorrow and our house is coming right along...life is good." Paul spoke long-winded but reassuring as Susan and Paul danced, wrapped their bodies around each other and laughed again.

Molly and Golly two-stepped, four stepped and glided across the small dance floor as they were engrossed in quite chatter, "You know, not too much longer and we'll be showing our moves at the wedding..."

"Molly, you're lucky I'm agreeing to this right now, since everyone's looking at us. I'm old man now, don't ya know?" Golly said modestly, lowering his eyes to Molly, as he noticed Lexie watching them with Lizzie.

"When did you let age stop you from dancing Golly? Besides you love to dance..." Molly teased him sweetly and also noted all of the other times Golly had danced with other women in her head...all during the times that she's known him, "Like with Marsha, oh that red-head, Mae and also..."

"I'd watch it if I were you..."

"Why's that?"

"Because lass, dancing is only for the strong of heart and you go weak in the knees when I do this!" Golly laughed and dipped Molly whose eyes widened with her laugh.

"They seem to be getting on..." Lexie nudged Lizzie over at the bar to take a look at Molly and Golly and how their bodies twisted together while they danced.

"Of course, going to be married, they must be getting on." Lizzie replied as Lexie could tell something was a matter with Lizzie.

"You look like someone shot your poodle? Spill it."

"I'm not certain I understand why Compton needs me here." Lizzie confessed as Lexie gave her an astonished look, "How do you mean? I thought you two got on well?"

"We do, we do, for the most part. Just he won the election..."

"You don't seem thrilled about it. You should be celebrating and kicking yer heels on that dance floor...c'mon, you go with me!" Lexie tried to drag Lizzie to the dance floor, but Lizzie stopped Lexie from doing it by saying, "It's not that, ever since the election, Lexie, I've been noticing things about Compton and me."

"What kind of things?"

"Like what I'm wearing tonight..." Lizzie looked down herself and Lexie replied, "What's wrong with what you have on?"

"Compton picked it out...every time we go out, it's like if I don't wear what he wants me to wear, he'll get insulted or something. Like I have some 'image' of his to uphold, and if I wear what he suggests, then he's happy as pie."

"So he's a little choosy of your outfits, nothing wrong with it is there? At least he cares about what you look like...I mean not that Archie doesn't care about what I wear...but..."

"Lexie, he orders what he wants me to eat at any kind of restaurant."

"It's been said it's a gentlemanly thing to do when a man orders dinner for you..." Lexie assumed and added, "Archie's ordered for me before and I normally love what he chosen for me to eat...especially if I don't know what to have! I have a hard time making up my mind sometimes when we would go out...of course, I'd keep the wait staff waiting for a good hour or so and finally Arch would help out and order my food too."

"Look, if I say I hate cow, which I so do and you know it! Compton gets upset, says I'm being unreasonable especially if I don't eat it at some special dinner party of one of his clients. Lexie, I just don't think..." Lizzie spoke truthfully, but Lexie couldn't answer because Graeme wandered over to Lizzie's side.

"Lizzie, you look lovely tonight." Graeme said nicely as Lizzie gave Lexie a glossy-eyed look and flashed a smile at Graeme.

"Thank-you, Graeme. Good of you to say. Um, where's Compton?" Lizzie asked politely.

"He said he had to step out for a breath of fresh night air. Hello Lexie, you look marvelous too." Graeme replied as his attention went to Lexie's.

"Thanks, now how's abouts ya to whisk this lass off to cut the rug?" Lexie hinted to Graeme that he should ask Lizzie to dance. Lizzie gave Lexie a surprised look at how eager Lexie was for Lizzie to have fun tonight.

Graeme smiled and elbow nudged Lizzie, "I'll go if you go..."

Lizzie, who didn't object to dancing, linked her arm under Graeme's as she kept looking back at Lexie, who waved her on, "Go on. Show us yer stuff."

"You don't have to dance with me, you know?" Lizzie placed her right hand on Graeme's and then Graeme wrapped his left arm around her back as they started to sway to the music.

"Why do you not like dancing?"

"I love dancing but normally Compton..."

"Is too busy to dance or show you some fun?"

"Graeme, if he sent you to baby-sit me again..."

"What If I told you he did, would you get upset?"

"No, I wouldn't. Just I was in the middle of talking to Lexie..."

"Lizzie, you look really blue, so I thought there's a girl who needs a chat to warm her up...and so I?"

"Look, you don't have to entertain me because Compton can't. I'm starting to wonder purely why I bother with him and his excuses."

"Because you fathom he'd make a great husband one day..."

"Um, no, what gave you that kind of idea?"

Graeme shrugged, "Just a hunch, I suppose."

"Well, I'm not looking to marry anyone. Compton barely knows Martha. How can I think about marrying someone who doesn't know my daughter?" Lizzie made a solid point, but Graeme knew Compton was up to something with Lizzie. Just before the election, he hinted to Graeme about how he wasn't going to 'let this one get away'.

Lizzie and Graeme still in the middle of dancing were suddenly interrupted by...

"Nice night, great breath of fresh air and now Elizabeth, darling, dance with me. Graeme, thanks, I'm cutting in."

Compton then reclaimed Lizzie leaving Graeme, as he wandered away, to voice in a whisper, _"Well, Lizzie, I wouldn't mind getting to know either of you."_

The night wore on as Archie had Duncan, who was at the bar gather all of the wine glasses for a huge toast. Archie and Paul went around passing out glasses as the group listened to Archie speak.

"Thanks for coming everyone. This is a special day, the beginning of many prosperous ventures, Ghillie's and our very own gazette!"

Everyone stood there tipping glasses to first Compton and his success, while Paul added further comments, "May you have a wondrous time running a group of different minds, Compton. May Molly and Golly have all the best for years to come, long live the family and their prosperous ventures! Here here!"

"Here here!" chanted out the whole room as Lexie and Archie hugged Molly and Golly, while they shouted out, "Speech! Speech!"

Molly blushed red, but then while bowing her head, she replied, "Funny how life's always making plans for you when you least expect them. I know it's good to see my family live dearly on. I also add with a grand delight Golly, you are my savior and I don't know where I'd be with out you!"

"I don't know where I'd be with you either Molly." Golly sensitively smiled at her. The group toasted to them again and someone in the back shouted out, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" Golly and Molly longingly glanced at each other as their heads leaned in and their lips brushed lightly. A sweet voice yelled out from the doorway, "You can kiss better than that, Da!" Golly and Molly stopped osculating within seconds of hearing the voice...

Jess with her backpack strapped to her back and her blonde locks swept back in a ponytail stood tall, dressed in outdoor gear with boots on her feet. She was grinning at her father, who looked at her and then Molly awestruck, "Did you set this up?"

Golly remembered months ago around Christmas time, Jess's surprise visit and how Molly and Archie had planned it for him. Molly shook her head no, as Golly then traveled over to Jessica for a touching, lively and well needed embrace. Many questions of why she was there then flooded into Golly's poor mind, "What ye doin' 'ere?"

"Da, can we chat about it later?" Jess asked smartly as she eyed the 'karaoke' microphone in Duncan's hands and stage, before Ewan toted her away towards it. Golly nodded his head, "Sure, lass, we will."

The END


End file.
